Bleeding Love
by zgirl21
Summary: Edward, Bella, and Jacob are childhood friends who are now college roommates. Edward, who only seems to care about one-night stands and his band, and Bella, studious and responsible, are always fighting...and Jacob? All-Human. E/B. Not for Jacob lovers.
1. Hey Jealousy

BLEEDING LOVE

_Tell me do you think it'd be all right  
If I could just crash here tonight  
You can see I'm in no shape for driving  
And anyway I've got no place to go  
Tomorrow we can drive around this town  
And let the cops chase us around  
The past is gone but something might be found  
To take its place...Hey Jealousy  
And you can trust me not to think  
And not to sleep around  
If you don't expect too much from me  
You might not be let down_

--"Hey Jealousy", Gin Blossoms

Chapter One

The door slammed with an angry crash as Bella stalked into the apartment. She shook off her snow-tracked boots and kicked them to the side, her backpack dropping to the ground with a loud thud. Her jaw set in clenched anger as she surveyed the state of her apartment. Dishes were piled high in the sink, there was a half-empty carton of milk was sitting out next to a plate of half-eaten food and filling the air with a sour stench, books were strewn across the living room, there were dirty socks thrown over the side of the couch, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt lay discarded in the hallway and was that…a bra?

She exhaled in pent up anger. That most definitely was not her bra. She was officially sick and tired of his shit. Kicking the clothes out of the way, she marched through the hallway and knocked furiously on his door.

"Edward! I need to talk to you…I don't care if someone's in there with you." She could barely see straight she was so pissed off.

There were a series of muffled noises from inside the room and she heard low mutterings from where she stood. The wait only made her fume even further. She tapped her foot impatiently on the floor and was fully prepared to knock much more rudely this time when the door burst open, revealing her disheveled and extremely hung-over roommate.

His face was a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion. "What do you want, Bella?"

Before she could respond, a petite blonde quickly popped out from under his arm and hurried into the bathroom. It was obvious she was wearing his T-shirt and also equally hung-over. Bella didn't even try to stop the eye roll that followed when she turned back to Edward.

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not doing this anymore, Edward."

His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You skipped class _again_. I had to cover for you _again_. I had to take notes for you _again_. I'm done with it. It's not my responsibility and it's not my fault that you can't balance the club and school at the same time."

Edward sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through his messy bronze hair. He rubbed his temples and she didn't care that he obviously had a headache. They were going to get this straightened out if it killed her.

"What do you want me to do, Bella?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "How should I know? That's for you to figure out. All I know is that I'm not covering for you anymore. And I'm not going to clean up after you guys anymore either. I'm not your mother and I'm not your fucking babysitter."

He bit his lip in frustration. "Calm the hell down. It's not that big a deal. I'll figure it out. Besides, if you remember, I only asked you to cover for me that one time. I never said anything about after that. You did it on your own."

"You're right," she said through clenched teeth. "But I'm not going to do it anymore. So you'd better get your shit together or else you're going to flunk out of school altogether."

He sighed again and shook his head. "Whatever, Bella."

He pushed past her and stumbled over to the bathroom. He raised a fist to knock but, following a string of curse words, he changed his mind and just opened the door. Bella heard a muffled laugh and a few clunks around the bathroom and decided she had heard enough. She shuffled grudgingly into the kitchen and began the search for some lunch. She found a carton of leftover Chinese food and sighed. It was better than nothing. After propping herself up on the counter, she opened it and started eating.

Several minutes later, the petite blonde, now fully dressed, emerged from Edward's room again and she hastily made a beeline for the door. She waved politely to Bella as she passed through the kitchen and shut the front door with a hurry. Bella bit her lip in a feeble attempt to hide her laughter, but it didn't work. It never failed. Every Thursday and Friday night, Edward and his band, New Moon, played at a club called The Twilight Club, and every night he was at the club, he brought a different girl home with him. She figured it was easy and most of the time, they were drunk and falling all over him. Bella had to admit, the sight of Edward on stage with his messy hair hidden by the beanie he only wore on stage, singing with that husky voice, and playing guitar would be difficult to resist. Especially if you had had a few drinks. Just the sound of his voice would be enough to turn a girl on. Still, she was getting sick of the revolving door that seemed to be attached to his bedroom. And she was beginning to feel bad for the girls who fell into his trap. She knew for a fact he never called them, never did the gentlemanly good deed and at least offer to take them out on a date. Edward didn't date, period. He just brought girls home after a gig. Sometimes, the same girl came over a few nights in a row, sometimes it was over the course of a few weeks, but it never lasted, especially since it was just sex, and then there would be a new girl in his bed. She doubted he even knew this last one's name.

As if on cue, Edward, now fully dressed, sauntered out of his room and into the kitchen. He refused to make eye contact with her as he searched the refrigerator. She heard another exasperated sigh as he stuck his head further inside the refrigerator. He finally took a glance her way and rolled his eyes. It was obvious he had been looking for the very same carton of Chinese food she was eating out of.

"Mind if we share?"

Her eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "What…are you talking to me again?"

He rolled his eyes again and launched himself next to her on the counter. He dug a fork into the carton in her hand and piled the cold noodles into his mouth.

"So…who was your 'friend'?" She asked slyly.

He just laughed and rolled his eyes again.

Her eyes narrowed and she bit her lip to hold back a laugh. "Do you even know her name?"

He just shrugged and kept eating; now Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"Geez, Edward, you could have at least walked her to the door…"

He shrugged again. "What's your point?"

Bella shook her head and laughed heartily. "Nothing."

They continued sharing the now almost empty carton in a slightly uncomfortable silence. Finally, a realization made her break the silence.

"Hey, have you seen Jake? I didn't see him this morning when I left for class…"

"Last I saw him was at the club before close…speaking of which… are you getting up on stage tonight?" He asked casually.

Bella groaned and grimaced under her breath. "Do I have to?"

He nudged her playfully with his elbow. "Oh come on…everyone loves it…you didn't do it last night and it gives me a chance to get a drink and take a little break…"

She rubbed her temples and exhaled loudly. "What song am I singing tonight?"

He grinned widely, knowing he had won, before taking another mouthful of noodles. "Whatever you want."

"Surprise me. I trust you…I guess."

Edward laughed again and placed an arm across her shoulder. "Don't worry…Jasper and Emmett will think of a good one for you…hmm…do you feel like country? Maybe a little "I Love Rock and Roll" instead?"

She shook her head and didn't even try to stop the huff that escaped her lips. "I did that one last week, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right…well, we'll think of something."

It never failed. Somehow they always managed to convince her to sing at least one song during their gig at the club. Ever since that horrible drunken night at a karaoke bar where she had not only danced on their table, singing along at the top of her lungs, but had serenaded the entire bar for nearly an hour…they had started talking her into singing with their band. While Edward was the lead singer, she usually served as an intermission of sorts, singing one or two songs while Edward took a quick break. It didn't help the fact that she usually was at the club whenever they were on and that just made her an even easier target. But, she reasoned with herself, it was the only time she was able to get away from school and homework. It was more like a girls' night out for her than anything because Alice and Rosalie were always there as well to support their boyfriends. She sighed as she thought of the long history they all shared.

They had all been friends for longer than she could remember…Emmett was Edward's older brother and also played the drums in their band, Alice was the youngest Cullen…Jasper was Edward's roommate their freshman year of college who also played bass and keyboards in the band and was now dating Alice, much to Edward's chagrin…Rosalie was Jasper's older sister and also engaged to Emmett…and Jacob, though he hadn't gone to high school with them, had been a friend since they had been in grade school and was also the bartender at The Twilight Club. The Cullens, the Swans, and the Blacks were family friends so it was only inevitable that their children would become lifelong friends as well.

Still, just because they had been friends for longer than she cared to admit didn't mean that she was going to put up with his behavior. To be honest, the way he treated women was getting old really fast, not to mention down right offensive. He skipped class all the time and she had no idea how he was managing to pass. And she was done babysitting him…he was a big boy and was going to have to start taking care of himself.

The door slammed shut, jolting Bella out of her revelry. Both she and Edward whipped around to see Jacob, who was angrily shaking the snow off his jacket.

"Hey Jake!" Bella yelled out happily, but when she saw his furious expression, her face fell. "What's wrong…"

The dark expression on his face softened a little as he turned to face them. "I got my Anatomy test back today…"

Bella hopped down from the counter and was at his side in less than a second. She took his backpack from it and set it down next to hers. "I take it you didn't do as well as you thought?"

He nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. "I studied for weeks for that stupid exam, Bells…I can't believe it…"

Bella bit her lip and grimaced. She hated seeing Jacob this way, he was always so hard on himself and he really had no reason to be. "What did you get?"

He shot her a frustrated look before answering. "I got a B."

Bella rolled her eyes and she could hear Edward's laughter coming up behind them.

"Oh come on, Jacob," Edward said between laughs. "A 'B' isn't bad. I would commit murder to get a B, let alone on an Anatomy exam."

Jacob shot Edward a fierce look. "Yeah, but I actually study for exams…you wouldn't know what studying was if a book hit you upside the head."

That comment only got more laughter from Edward and Bella, who placed a comforting arm on Jacob's shoulder, could only scowl at Edward as she too tried to hide her laughter.

"Come on, Jake…a B is great…" She managed through her smile.

Jacob just rolled his eyes and exhaled. He plopped himself on the couch and switched on ESPN. Edward followed suit, grabbing the Chinese carton as he went and handed it to Jacob as he sat next to him on the couch.

Before long, they were engrossed in sports and Bella realized that if she didn't say something soon, she was going to end up cleaning up the apartment on her own. At least she was smart enough to wait until a commercial.

"Hey guys?"

Nothing…they were too wrapped up in talking sports to even notice she had said anything.

"Guys?"

Still no answer. She decided to pull out the big guns and moved from behind the couch to standing directly in front of the TV just the show they had been watching came back on.

"Bella!" They cried out in complete unison.

She shook her head, not giving in. "Sorry guys. This place is disgusting and since it's not my mess, I'm not going to clean it up. Can you guys just do me a favor and clean it up before you leave for the club tonight? I mean this place just…smells like rotting food and unwashed boys…"

Edward raised his eyebrows, knowing instinctively that her last comment was directed at him.

"Yeah, that's right, Edward…you smell like stale beer and body odor." No one ever said she had to fight fair.

His jaw clenched in anger and frustration. "Would you just stop it, Bella? Get off your fucking high horse…"

That only sent her deeper into a rage. "Don't even get me started, Edward. You don't want me to say what everyone's thinking…you and your one night stands, night after night…"

In a flash, he was on his feet and dangerously close to her face. "I don't think that's any of your business. Back. Off."

He took another step closer to her and was now looming over her with malice etched on his face. Instinctively, she quickly backed away from him.

"I don't care, Edward. You make me sick sometimes, you know that?"

His eyes narrowed and neither even noticed Jacob carefully creep off the crouch and flee the living room.

Edward moved into the space she had abandoned and she could practically see the vein that threatened to pop in his forehead pulsing with fury. "See the funny thing about that is…I don't give a flying fuck what you think of me, alright? I can do whatever I want and you know what? So can you. If you don't want to see the way I spend my nights then find somewhere else to live and don't show up at the club every night. I have no problem with the way I live my life. I don't see why you should either…"

He pushed past her and stalked through the hallway, slamming his bedroom door shut with a furious crash. Bella stood in the living room on weak legs, feeling as though he had slapped her. For some reason, tears welled up in her eyes and she fought as hard as she could to stop them from falling. She jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned abruptly and sighed. It was just Jacob.

"Hey, Bells…you really shouldn't egg him on like that…you know he has that temper. You were just asking for it back there."

She just nodded as he wrapped an arm around her. She leaned into him and wrapped her arm around his waist, smiling into his shoulder. He always knew what to do to make her feel better and to tell the truth, she couldn't ask for a better friend than him. Whenever something was bothering her, he always found a way to reassure her and help her pick up the pieces. That was way more than she could say for _him_.

She sighed again as Jacob released her. She had no idea what had gotten into her. Lately, everything Edward did annoyed her to no end and today had been no exception. The messy apartment, the frustration she had felt for having to lie to their professor again for him, seeing him use another girl like that…had just been the last straw for her today. He was just so…infuriating. Right about now, she felt like she could kill him. Just go into his room and strangle him with her bare hands. At least it might make her feel better.

Resigning herself to her misery, she muttered "See you later" to Jacob and locked herself in her room. Hell, if he could do it, then she could too. With an exhausted sigh, she flopped down on her bed, now extremely grateful she had spent the extra money on her down comforter, and fell into an angry, frustrated sleep.

It wasn't until several hours later that she heard the front door to their apartment slam followed by a quiet knock on her bedroom door.

"Hey, Bells…I'm leaving for the club now…Edward just left. So…see you there, right?"

She pushed her face even deeper into her pillow and muffled out: "Yeah, I'll be there later."

She really didn't want to go there tonight and the last thing she wanted to do was put herself in a position to see things she really didn't feel like seeing. And she really, really, didn't want to be dragged up on stage tonight. But still, it was Friday night and she was positive that Alice would be calling or texting her within a matter of minutes to make plans. Besides, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to her.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed above her head. It was Alice. Of course. With an exasperated exhale, Bella picked up the phone and quickly winced when Alice proceeded to talk her ear off before she could even say hello.

"Alright, alright, alright…just give me fifteen minutes. No, nothing's wrong. No am I not going to listen to that crap…Alice, fine, fifteen minutes. Yeah, I'll just come down when I'm ready. Fifteen minutes, promise."

She snapped the phone shut and jumped out of bed. What to wear…what to wear…everything in her closet just seemed like crap to her at that moment and for a split second, she wished she had the fashion prowess that her friends both had. Surely Alice and Rosalie had much better options than she did…but she didn't have any time to waste either. For some reason, she felt like she needed to look pretty tonight. After all, it was a Friday and who knew who was going to be at the club? Maybe, finally, some guy would take pity on her and actually ask her out. For the most part, it seemed like the fact that she had two boys as roommates scared off any potential suitors, but this night could be different.

After five minutes passed, she gave up trying and threw on the first top she found with the first pair of jeans she saw. She hurriedly applied a few swipes of mascara, a little bit of lip gloss and reached for her flats. She shook her head and dug through her closet until she found the only pair of black high heels she owned. She would most likely live to regret the decision but she was way past caring.

A quick glance at the clock told her she was already running late and she knew instinctively that Alice and Rosalie were already downstairs waiting impatiently. After a string of curses and near collision with the floor as she rushed to the door, she made it to Rosalie's car in one piece.

"Bella! We're going to be late now because of you…they probably already started…" Alice whined.

"Groupies…" Bella muttered under her breath as she got in the back seat.

"Hey…" Alice shot her head around to look Bella square in the eye. "It's not our fault that we're head over heels in love with two of the band members…not to mention family…and it's not our fault that you can't be on time to save your life. By the way, Bella, you look extremely sexy tonight."

Bella scoffed and instinctively looked down to survey her appearance. "Whatever, Alice…you're just saying that to play nice."

"No, it's true, Bella." Rosalie called from the driver's seat. "I'm very impressed. You are going to have all the guys there positively eating out of your hand tonight. I can't wait!"

Bella just rolled her eyes. "Geez, guys, it's just a black tank top and some heels."

"Yeah but Bella…I can see your cleavage." Alice giggled scandalously, then her face fell into shock. "Wait…did you say heels? You're wearing heels? Oh my god…I never thought this day would come! Did you hear that, Rose, our little Bella's all grown up now!"

Alice continued to squeal with excitement while Rosalie just laughed, smartly keeping her eyes trained on the road. Before long, they pulled up to the crowded parking lot of The Twilight Club. None of them were surprised, since New Moon always seemed to draw a crowd whenever they played. For the most part, it also seemed that the biggest draw was Edward. Not that Bella could blame the girls that flocked into the club every Thursday and Friday, ready to get tipsy and ogle the lead singer, each one no doubt wondering if they would be the 'lucky' one to go home with him that night.

They entered the front door and the bouncer just waved them in, not needing to see any ID. Music coursed through the walls of the now too crowded club and Bella tried to make out the song they were playing. It sounded a little like "Glycerine" by Bush but she wasn't completely sure because of the added noise the girls in the front were making. The three girls pushed their way through the crowds of people, and Bella was quickly beginning to regret wearing heels. She quickly gripped Rosalie's arm and grimaced.

"How are those heels treating you, Bella?" She yelled over the noise.

Bella just shook her head, her eyes lighting up when she caught sight of her favorite bartender. Jacob waved when he saw them and gestured for the people standing in front of him at the bar to move so they could get through.

"Hey guys! I'm glad you were able to get in…it's insane here tonight!" Jacob tried to yell over the noise.

He immediately started fixing them each their poison of choice and before long, Alice was sipping on a strawberry margarita, Rosalie a Long Island Iced Tea, and Bella a Captain and Diet.

As Bella settled into her seat, she finally allowed her eyes to wander to the stage. Emmett has pounding away furiously on the drums and Jasper was bopping his head harmoniously to the beat coming from his bass guitar. And Edward…was the same as usual…seated on a stool in the center of the stage, the same brown beanie covering his hair that seemed to drive girls crazy with lust, and he was strumming away on his acoustic while his husky voice rasped finished out the lyrics to "Glycerine".

"My monkey man…" Rosalie exhaled as she clapped her hands furiously when the last chords were played. She immediately started pushing her way through the crowd to get closer to her fiancé and both Alice and Bella rolled their eyes. They usually lost Rosalie pretty quickly and most of the time, she was right up front with all the other groupies, most likely salivating at the mouth and making sure to stake claim on her man.

"Oh…Jazz looks so hot tonight…" Alice yelled out.

Bella just rolled her eyes at Jacob and he laughed while he finished the drink he was making.

"They are so pathetic, aren't they?"

He just shook his head and bit his lip, handing a drink to a customer. "Aww…let 'em be, Bells…they're just blinded by the wiles of musicians…"

She continued to laugh before another song started. This time, she caught the chords easily as Edward strummed out the first chords of "Addicted" by Saving Abel. That was quickly becoming the most popular song they played…most likely because of the content of the lyrics.

She rolled her eyes a few girls near the front let out a muffled cry as Edward began crooning out the first lines:

"_I'm so addicted to all the things you do  
When you're going down on me  
In between the sheets  
All the sounds you make  
With every breath you take  
It's not like anything  
When you're loving me."_

Bella could only shake her head as the cries from the girls in front only heightened as the song played on. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. In a split second, Edward's magnetic emerald eyes locked on hers and they darkened immediately at the sight of her. She quickly looked away and turned back to her friend, who was now screaming almost as loud as the groupies in front.

"God, Alice…seriously?" She shook her head at her friends.

"What?" Alice mouthed, having given up on trying to yell over the crowd.

"Bella's just still sore at Edward from earlier today," Jacob interjected before she could respond to Alice. "They really got into it today…can't say it hasn't been a trend lately, though…"

Alice's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Really? Hmm…go figure."

Bella chose to ignore her and moved back towards Jacob. "Well, I was right though, wasn't I?"

Jacob just shrugged and went back to making drinks. "Just leave me out it, Bells."

Her brow furrowed in confusion but decided to let it go as Alice descended on her.

"So what were you two fighting about this time?"

Bella exhaled with obvious annoyance. "I'm just sick of him."

Alice didn't even try to hide her devious grin. "Uh huh. Let me guess…he brought another girl home with him last night and you heard them having hot monkey sex all night?"

Bella rolled her eyes and tried to act horrified by her comment. "No…come on, Alice. He was with someone last night and no, I didn't hear anything…but there were clothes everywhere, the whole place just stinks right now and I'm just sick of it…alright?"

Alice's eyes widened with mock surprise. "Ok, ok…don't get your underwear in a twist over it…"

That got a real reaction from her and she playfully slapped Alice across the arm. "You can be a little bitch sometimes, you know that?"

Alice's laughter rang in her ears and she hit Bella back. "I don't care. When I'm right, I'm right."

"Whatever."

Bella was about to make another snide comment when she stopped short as Edward's voice rang through the club.

"Alright, guys…now it's the time of the night when I get to actually have a drink and take a breather…without further adieu, Bella Swan!"

Loud applause erupted through the room and that made Bella feel a little bit better.

Bella sighed as Alice squealed: "Yay! My favorite part! What are you singing tonight?"

"I don't know…whatever Em and Jazz picked for me I guess." She called as she made her way to the stage. As soon as she was on stage, Edward handed his guitar to Jasper and jumped off without even looking at her.

She gripped the microphone with shaky hands and turned to Emmett. "What am I singing tonight?"

Emmett grinned like a Cheshire cat and held up his drum sticks to start the count off. "How bout this one, Bells?"

Jasper started strumming the opening chords on Edward's guitar and Emmett followed in with the drums; before long, Bella recognized the song and turned to the face the crowd, who were already dancing and clapping to the music.

She started singing:

"_I'm waitin' on the sun to set cause yesterday ain't over yet  
I started smoking cigarettes there's nothing else to do I guess  
Dusty roads ain't made for walking, spinning tires ain't made for stoppin'  
I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me."_

She gripped the microphone a little harder as her nerves began to give way and she just enjoyed the music and the stage. Her eyes rested on Edward, who was watching her carefully and taking a long drink of his beer. Her eyes flew away from him the second a girl wound her arm seductively around his neck and Bella just lost herself in singing:

"_Forget your high society, I'm soakin' it in kerosene  
Light 'em up and watch them burn, teach them what they need to learn HA!  
Dirty hands ain't made for shakin', ain't a rule that ain't worth breakin'  
Well, I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me."_

The song faded out and the crowd, again, erupted in applause. She heard a loud whistle coming from the bar and she threw Jacob a grateful grin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward jump back on stage and took that as her cue to exit. He waved to the crowd as a few girls cried out at the sight of him and gingerly took the microphone from Bella's hand. He offered her a small smile and said: "Bella Swan everybody! Thanks…Bella, I needed that break…now, let's get this party rolling!"

A few more cries echoed throughout the club as Bella stepped down from the stage and she pushed through the crowd yet again to resume her seat next to Alice at the bar. By that time, the boys had already begun knocking out "Lithium" by Nirvana.

Before Bella could even sit back down, she was accosted by her best friend, who threw her arms around her in a tight hug.

"That was awesome, Bella! I wish I could sing like that too!"

Bella just smiled and laughed. "Hey, maybe if you pout enough, one of them will give in and let you give it a try for once."

Alice looked horrified. "Oh no…no, Emmett says my singing sounds like nails on a chalkboard and as much as I hate to admit that my brother's right…well, my brother's right."

The girls laughed at that and then turned their attention back to the music as Jacob continued to mix them their drinks. After about an hour or so, the night was starting to wind down and the crowd was finally beginning to clear. The last song, "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls, finished up, Edward made the last call to help clear the crowd.

Bella and Alice took a quick shot and were working on finishing their last drink when Alice nudged Bella forcefully in the side.

"Ow! What, Alice?" She cried out in more surprise than pain.

"That guy…he's walking over here. He's been staring at you all night Bella. And when you were on stage, God, I thought he was going to combust he looked so hot for you!"

Bella's brow furrowed in confusion and she worriedly looked to Jacob, who just shrugged his shoulders, his jaw clenched tightly.

"What? No…he's not coming over here for me, he's probably just getting one last drink or something…" She trailed off as the guy Alice had been talking about stopped directly in front of her and held out his hand. Alice was gone in a flash.

"Hello," he began smoothly. "I'm James."

She took his hand cautiously and shook it. "Hi…I'm Bella."

He grinned widely at that and gripped her hand a little tighter before releasing it. "Yeah, I knew that already. You know, you were really fantastic up there. I wish you would have sung more than just one song."

She felt her cheeks flush, not at all used to compliments from guys. "Yeah, well…one song is all they can really talk me into."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really? You're a natural up there. I was singing along the whole time and usually, I absolutely hate country."

She laughed and nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Everyone says it's a good change of pace from the type of music they usually play here so…"

He nodded and bit his lip in thought. He looked like he was about to say something when his eyes shifted to something to the side of her. Bella turned and groaned when she saw all five, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, and…Edward, walking towards them. She tried not to look at Edward but couldn't miss the leggy blonde clinging to his neck.

"Hey, Bells…who's your friend?"

Bella grimaced. Ugh. Leave it to Emmett.

James stepped forward and quickly reached out to shake Emmett's and then Jasper's hand. It wasn't lost on anyone that he all but ignored Edward.

"Hello," he introduced himself. "I'm James. I was just talking with Bella about her amazing performance tonight."

"Well, she is pretty amazing." Alice chimed in, looking completely pleased with this new development.

"Yes, she most definitely is." James replied, now looking down on Bella.

Alice didn't fail to notice the look and she quickly shooed the rest of the group away. Although he tried to hide it, Edward turned his head to the side and sent James a dangerously dark look as they walked away. He quickly turned his attention back to the blonde when she started trailing her lips up and down his neck.

"Well," James began again, throwing Bella from her thoughts. "Since it looks like your friends want to leave, I…uh…just wanted to ask if I could take you out sometime."

Bella blinked in shock. She opened her mouth to speak but was too surprised to form any coherent words. "Um…sure…"

After the brief exchange of plans, he quickly kissed her cheek and waved goodbye to her four friends at the bar before exiting the club. As soon as he was gone, a loud cheer erupted from the bar.

"Yeah!"

"Way to go, Bella!"

"Ooooooo!"

Bella's blush only deepened at this. "Aw, come on guys…he just asked me out…it's not like he asked me to marry him or anything…"

"Whatever, Bella…did I not tell you this was going to happen tonight? It's all about the heels." Alice chirped happily.

Jasper's brow immediately furrowed with a mixture of confusion and shock. "Bella's wearing heels? Since when?"

Alice smacked the back of his head playfully and stood on her tip toes to bit his ear lobe. "Don't tease her, Jazz…she'll never wear them again if you don't and then I'll be very angry and I don't think you'd think it when I'm angry…"

He grinned widely at her and gripped her waist a little tighter. "Oh, really?"

"Ok stop!" Bella interrupted desperately. "Enough of that crap. I just want to go home."

"Alright, Bells. Just give me a minute and I can drive you." Jacob offered as he finished wiping down the bar. Both couples just shrugged and said their goodbyes before leaving the club. Bella pulled up a stool up to the bar and plopped down in exhaustion.

"Have fun tonight, Bells?" Jacob asked warmly.

She shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her arms, suddenly cold now that there weren't people in the club anymore. "Yeah, I guess."

The front door opened and both turned to see Edward and his soon-to-be one-night stand stumble over to the bar arm in arm.

"Hey Jacob, do you think I could have one more beer before our cab gets here?"

"Yeah, why not?" Jacob replied easily and slid one over to him. Edward and the leggy blonde pulled up two bar stools and he sat down right next to Bella, facing away from the bar.

He cleared his throat and turned his head slightly to ask her tensely: "So are you really going to go out with him?"

Her head whipped to face him, a mask of anger enveloping her face. "What do you care anyway?"

"He's an asshole, Bella."

She scoffed and turned back to face the bar. "How would you know that?"

He shook his head. "Trust me on this one, Bella."

"I can take care of myself." She bit out through her clenched teeth.

The blonde snaked her hand through Edward's hair and forced him to look back down at her. "Come on, Eddie…I wanna go back to your place now…"

He smiled back at her, knowing exactly what she had in mind. "We will, don't worry babe."

Without another glance her way, Edward took the blonde by the arm and led her outside. Bella just rolled her eyes and barely noticed when Jacob came up behind her.

"Ready Bells?"

She sighed with relief that the night was finally over. "Yeah, get me the hell out of here."

He laughed and led her out into the cold.


	2. When You Were Young

A/N--Wow...guys, thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I couldn't believe it!! I should probably clarify: I really have nothing against Jacob in the books. I think he was a great friend to Bella and if Edward hadn't been around, they would have been really happy together. But...if I had to choose between Edward and Jacob, you'd better believe I'm choosing Edward every time. So there, that's my two cents about that and hopefully that will provide a little explanation for you in later chapters. So anyways, I hope you like this chapter...and try not to hate me too much...there's always a silver lining...

BLEEDING LOVE

_You sit there in your heartache  
Waiting on some beautiful boy to  
To save you from your old ways  
You play forgiveness  
Watch it now  
Here he comes  
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus  
But he talks like a gentleman  
Like you imagined  
When you were young_

_They say the devil's water  
It ain't so sweet  
You don't have to drink right now  
But you can dip your feet  
Every once in a little while_

--"When You Were Young" by The Killers

Chapter Two

Light was just beginning to flicker in from the shades in her room and groaning, Bella turned over and buried her head in her pillow. Her head was throbbing much more than she had been expecting and her stomach…well, that was a whole other story. She had definitely drank way more than she had intended to last night. Of course, it didn't help that she had an in with the bartender and most of her drinks had been free. Who in their right mind would say no to free drinks? And Jacob was certainly generous with the amount of alcohol he put in each one…

Ugh. Headaches and sleep deprivation were not something she was interested in handling and peacefully decided that settling back into the warm comfort of her bed was a much better option than getting up and actually facing the day. She felt her ears perk up when her bedroom door creaked open. Light footsteps padded closer to her bed and within a matter of moments, she felt warm breath on her ear.

"Oh Beelllaaa!" Alice sang into her ear. "Beelllaaaa…waaakkke uppp! We're going to be late now and you know Rosalie is not going to be happy if we're late…"

Bella turned over and grimaced. "Oh no…that's today? Can't you just pick up the dresses and tuxes without me? I'm sure it'll fit…Rosalie had me measured like a million times."

Alice just laughed and shook her gently. "Come on, everyone's ready and waiting for you. Edward was even ready on time…"

Bella's eyes narrowed at the mention of the number one person on her shit list. Just another reason to crawl back into bed.

"Come on!" Alice pleaded again. "Let's go, Bella. Rosalie is going to blow a gasket pretty soon."

"Alright, alright…just give me a second."

Bella swung her legs over the side of her bed and took the clothes that Alice held out for her. Several minutes later, both girls emerged from Bella's room; Rosalie exhaled loudly at the sight of them and shook her head.

"It's about time, Bella. We have to go. Now." Her voice was stern and everyone knew better than to say anything to her. When it came to her wedding, it really was Rosalie's way or the highway. With only a week left to make preparations, her nerves were starting to get the best of her and no one was completely safe when wedding plans were involved.

All six piled into Rosalie's car, with Bella sandwiched awkwardly between Edward and Jasper, and Alice was somehow in the middle up front between Emmett and Rosalie, who had refused to let Emmett drive. She sped off like a Nascar driver, winding in and around the cars surrounding them, clearly on a mission.

"Whoa, babe, slow down…we'll get there. Don't worry." Emmett soothed and rubbed her neck calmingly.

"I know, Em, I know. I just can't wait to see how everything turned out." Rosalie said through clenched teeth, her fists gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"Wow, guys…I can't believe you're getting married next weekend…" Alice exhaled, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"I know," Bella joined in. "It's going to be so much fun, Rose…everything will be perfect."

Rosalie sent her friends a brief look of gratitude and then gradually slowed down enough to put everyone more at ease. A slightly uncomfortable silence overtook the car and Bella cast a quick glance toward Edward, who sitting as close to window and as far away from her as possible. He had yet to speak or look at her.

Alice seemed to sense the tension and turned abruptly to face Bella, a wicked gleam in her eye.

"So, Bella, it looks like you're going to have to go back on the pill now, right?"

Bella's mouth fell open and a collective groan echoed through the car. She could feel Edward's eyes on her and when she turned her head, his eyes were clouded over with darkness. The second their eyes met, his head snapped to the face of his smirking little sister.

"What makes you say that, Alice?" He spat out.

Alice frowned and looked at him like he had just sprouted a second head. "Well, Edward…you were there last night. Bella has a date tonight, don't you Bella?"

All eyes were suddenly on Bella.

"Well, Alice, if I remember correctly from Biology, going back on the pill right now wouldn't do me much good for _tonight_, now would it?"

Rosalie and Alice erupted into fits of laughter at that comment while Emmett and Jasper rolled their eyes, in both disgust and disinterest. Edward, however, seemed to be frozen where he sat.

"Are you really planning on sleeping with him tonight, Bella?" Edward accused, his emerald eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

Her head whipped around to face him and she fought the urge to slap him across the face. "You really think I would do that, Edward?"

"Yeah, Edward, calm down. We were just joking." Alice offered from the front.

"Seriously…if I hear anymore talk about birth control…God, please…can we talk about something else?" Emmett moaned next to Alice. She rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder mercifully.

Edward seemed to relax a little at that but Bella, on the other hand, was ready to toss him from the car. Still, the ride continued without any further commotion and they pulled up to the bridal shop in one piece.

Alice and Rosalie practically skipped inside, with Emmett and Jasper following closely behind, leaving Edward and Bella in the dust outside.

Bella started walking up the stairs to the front of the shop when she head Edward sigh loudly behind her. She felt his firm grip on her arm and she let him pull her back. She turned around to face him and was met with serious, apologetic eyes.

She didn't care. He opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him.

"Whatever you're going to say…I don't want to hear it. Just stay away from me for awhile, alright?"

She turned on her heel and left him standing at the entrance of the store. The second she was inside, she was immediately pulled into a dressing room, with the lavender bridesmaid's dress Rosalie had painstakingly picked out waiting for her on a hanger.

She sighed and started doing her 'bridesmaid' duty, thanking God that Rosalie and Emmett had decided to keep the maid of honor and best man duties in the family. She didn't even want to think about the things Alice had had to do as maid of honor even though she knew Alice was more than happy to help with wedding plans, regardless of Rosalie's controlling nature. And right about now, she was glad she wouldn't have to walk down any aisles with Edward, who was serving as his older brother's best man. Rosalie's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Bella, are you almost done? Come on, I want to make sure the seamstress got the alterations right."

Bella sighed again and quickly stepped out of the dressing room. Alice and Rosalie were standing by the largest mirror in the shop, admiring the way the fabric looked on Alice's petite frame. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jasper, Edward, and Emmett crowding next to each other in a nearby mirror admiring the way they looked in their tuxes, and she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. The scene was just too priceless.

"Seriously, Rose…did you have to pick purple?" Jasper complained.

"Yeah, it might as well have been pink." Edward agreed, tugging on his tie.

Rosalie promptly marched over to the boys and helped Edward straighten his tie. "Keep talking like that, Cullen, and it will be pink…just for you. And by the way, Jasper, you're not wearing _purple_, you're wearing _lavender_. There's a difference."

"Yeah!" Alice chimed in from high above the platform she was standing on.

For once, Emmett was wise enough to know to stay out of this one.

"Come on guys," Bella laughed, finally making her presence known. "Play nice now."

Rosalie smiled happily when she caught sight of Bella. "Oh Bella! It looks perfect on you…come on…Alice, get off of there, you had your turn!"

Alice stuck out her bottom lip to pout but surrendered when she saw the fierce look on Rosalie's face.

"Fine," she relented with a sly grin. "Whatever Bridezilla wants, Bridezilla gets."

Rosalie didn't even flinch. She was much to preoccupied with getting Bella onto the platform and in front of the mirror to even notice. She helped Bella up and swooshed the skirt of the dress around her to get the full effect.

"There…nothing to worry about." Rosalie whispered to Bella reassuringly. "You're going to look beautiful next Saturday…just not as beautiful as me."

Both girls just grinned at each other into the mirror until Alice's frowning face emerged.

"Alright, Alice. I'm getting down…"

"Yay!" Alice clapped her hands happily and immediately pounced back onto the platform to admire herself as soon as Bella vacated it.

Bella just shook her head and laughed as she watched Rosalie flit between the two mirrors, poking and prodding at Emmett and Jasper and moving pieces of Alice's dress around her to make sure everything was perfect. She was just about to go back into her dressing room to change when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Bella…can we talk?"

She turned around to meet Edward's pleading eyes and bit her lip, trying to decide if there was a way out of this. He was the last person she wanted to be talking to but there weren't many places in the shop where she could run and hide. She nodded helplessly and allowed him to lead her to the opposite side of the shop, where the men's dressing rooms where.

He opened a dressing room and motioned for her to get inside. She shook her head profusely, immediately fearing any type of close proximity to him but stopped when he held up a hand.

"Bella, I want to talk to you privately."

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to regain her bearings. When she opened them, she felt a renewed sense of strength. "Fine."

She walked into the dressing room and he quickly followed, shutting the door behind him. When she turned around, she realized with horror how cramped the dressing room really was. Their faces were mere inches apart and suddenly, she wished she hadn't given in to him. Somehow, though, she always ended up giving in to him.

He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his messy bronze hair. When his eyes met hers, there was a determination in them she had never seen before.

"Look Bella," he began unsteadily. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now and I know you don't want to talk to me. But I have something to say and you're going to have to listen whether you like it or not."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as he continued.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday and I'm sorry I was a jerk in the car before. But you need to listen to me. I don't want you to go out with James tonight."

Her heart practically froze in place. "What?"

"Remember last night when I told you he was an asshole? He might have seemed nice and polite to you then but trust me, he's not."

Her jaw clenched tightly and she backed away from him as much as the small space would let her. "How the hell would you know that?"

"Because I've seen it. The Twilight Club isn't the only bar he goes to, Bella. And I've seen him with girls and I've heard stories about him…look, he just gets what he wants from them and then he throws them away. Just…do yourself a favor and cancel your plans with him tonight."

Bella was practically seething. "Oh, so he just gets what he wants from them and then he throws them away, huh? Wow, that sounds awfully familiar, don't you think?"

He sighed and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "This isn't about me, Bella. This is about you and that guy…Bella, he's a scumbag and you shouldn't let yourself get within ten miles of him."

Her eyebrows rose angrily and she bit down hard on her lip. "Why can't you just be happy for me, Edward? Why can't you just be happy that a guy actually asked me out? That someone's interested…that never happens and you know it."

He looked down at the floor and exhaled in frustration. "That's not it, Bella. That's not it at all. James isn't going to make you happy."

"Just shut up, Edward. How can you pass judgment on someone like this when you do the exact same thing you're accusing James of? You know what? I don't care. Maybe he is exactly what you said he is but I'm going to find out for myself. Get off _your_ fucking high horse and leave me alone. What do you care anyway if James uses me and throws me away?"

Edward's eyes narrowed dangerously and she could see the same vein she had noticed yesterday threatening to pop pulsing on his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak but she just continued her rant.

"And I can't believe you think I might actually consider sleeping with someone on the first date. I'm not like _you_…oh wait, you don't even take girls out on dates, do you? No…you just bring them back to your room, use them, and throw them away. And every time a guy takes an interest me, I know it's not often, but it does happen, you just have to go and find something about him that you don't like. I'm sick of it! Don't act all self-righteous with me, Edward, because you have absolutely zero right to tell me what to do. I'm going to go out with him tonight and I'm going to have a good time. You can't stop me."

"Fine," he bit out. "Do what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Bella just pushed past him and furiously opened the dressing room door, only to find Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper waiting outside with amused expressions on their faces.

"So…what were you doing in there, Bella?" Alice asked carefully.

"I'll be in the car." Bella spat out as she pushed past her friends and slammed the door on her way out of the shop.

The four of them watched her go, wincing as she left. All eyes were on Edward when he finally emerged from the dressing room. He looked exhausted, livid, and completely frustrated.

"Geez, Edward, what'd you do to her?" Emmett asked casually.

"I told her not to go out with James." He answered simply, throwing his hands up in the air helplessly.

Alice just shook her head and jabbed a pointed finger into his chest. "You need to stop this, Edward. Bella can take care of herself. If she wants to go out on a date, then she can. I, for one, am happy for her."

Edward chewed on his lip. "Yeah, Alice, that may be true but you don't know this guy. He's bad news."

She just shrugged her shoulders and scowled.

"How do you know him exactly, Edward?" Rosalie joined in.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I've seen him around the club and at other bars. He's got a bad reputation and I don't want her to go out with him."

Alice smiled slyly. "So…if you don't want her to go out with him, then who should she go out with?"

His brow furrowed with frustration and his eyes narrowed at his sister. "Bella can date whoever she wants, just as long as it's not him."

Alice just rolled her eyes at him as Rosalie pulled her away back toward the dressing room. Emmett and Jasper could only shake their heads and followed the girls back to the other side of the shop, leaving Edward alone, his fists clenched into tight balls at his side.

Several hours later, Alice was just finishing her "Brand New Bella" makeover, as she lovingly put it. After scrounging through Bella's closet for something 'half-way decent' to wear, Alice had shrieked with elation when she found Bella's long-forgotten little black dress. Although it was a few years old and only slightly out of style, the deep V neck and empire-waist knee length dress from the Gap still fit Bella perfectly. It practically looked brand new.

Alice took great pains to apply Bella's makeup to perfection. Her long brown hair cascaded around her shoulders in soft curls, her lids were coated with smoky black eyeshadow and liner, and Alice had carefully layered several applications of deep back mascara, effectively making Bella's chocolate eyes pop. Even she had to admit, Alice could sure to some good work when she allowed Alice to get near her with her infamous makeup bag.

"You are going to make his eyes pop right out of his head, Bella." She whispered into her ear as they took in Alice's handiwork from the mirror.

Bella felt a blush creep onto her cheeks and her stomach was doing flip-flops. She couldn't remember the last time she had been on a real date. As far as she could tell, James was nothing like how Edward had described him. He had even called an hour before to confirm their plans, which were dinner and then drinks after ward. So far, he had been nothing but a gentleman to her and she knew that deep down, Edward was just being Edward. If he was unhappy, then he did whatever he could to make everyone else unhappy. And she was positive that he had no reason to be happy with his life.

"Alright, time to knock 'em dead, killer." Alice whispered with a laugh.

Bella sighed deeply. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, James is going to be here any minute and you have to make your grand entrance. Remember Bella…Jasper and I, and I think Edward too, are only going to be at a bar a couple blocks away from you so just in case things aren't going well…you can always call me and I'll come rescue you. Just in case though…everything is going to be perfect!"

Alice didn't even wait for her to respond; she simply took Bella by the arm and pulled her out into the hallway. At the sound of the bathroom door shutting behind them, the three boys, who had been engrossed in the football game on TV, turned around.

"Hey," Jasper said good-naturedly. "You look great, Bella!"

Jacob's eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of his roommate and he swallowed nervously. "Wow, Bells…you look fantastic…nice job, Alice!"

Alice nodded proudly and looked expectantly at Edward, who had yet to say anything. His eyes flickered over Bella's frame then he turned back around, his attention back on the game as if nothing had happened.

"Edward," Alice bit out through clenched teeth. "Everyone else said something nice to Bella; don't you have something _nice_ to say?"

He sighed in frustration and turned back around to face Bella. His eyes swept over her one more time before he offered quietly: "You look nice, Bella."

Alice beamed proudly up at Bella and was about to say something when a knock came swiftly from the front door. She squealed and leapt in front of Bella, almost knocking her over, to get to the door first. She breathlessly threw open the door to reveal a waiting James, who was dressed in a white button-down shirt with a few of the top buttons undone and dark pants. Much to Bella's surprise, he was much better-looking than she had given him credit for. She hadn't really trusted her alcohol-hazed memory and was glad to see that she had had nothing to worry about.

James dutifully shook Jacob and Jasper's outstretched hand but Edward had remained seated on the couch, his attention completely centered on the TV.

"Bye guys!" Jasper and Jacob called.

"Have fun, Bella!" Alice waved excitedly from the door as she gently pushed them outside.

James grinned good-naturedly, extending his arm out to her. Bella laughed nervously and hooker her arm in his.

"Ready to go to dinner?" He asked smoothly.

She nodded and allowed him to lead her downstairs and into the waiting cab.

Fifteen minutes later, they were already sitting at their table in the restaurant, which James had reserved for them hours before. Bella was nervously scanning the menu, trying to desperately to find something that was under thirty dollars. If she had had any idea he was taking her to a swanky place like this, she would have let Alice take her shopping for a new dress like she had wanted. But of course, she had had to disappoint her best friend…and was now feeling very out of place.

James closed his menu and took a drink from his wineglass. "So, where are you from Bella?"

She looked up quickly, surprised. "Uh…I'm from Forks, actually. How about you?"

He smiled and bit his lip. "Seattle. So…I'm sorry, but I have to ask…how did you end up with two guys for roommates?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "It's ok…you're definitely not the first one to ask that. Well, it's kind of a long story."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I've got all night."

Her smile widened slightly at his response. "Well, my family, Jacob's family, and the Cullens have all been friends for longer than anyone really remembers. I basically grew up with all of them. Anyway, we all ended coming here to UW. Alice and I were roommates in the dorms…so were Edward and Jasper, that's how Alice and Jasper met, actually. So when things between Jasper and Alice got serious, they basically ditched Edward and me. Edward and Jacob moved into the apartment we live in now, the building is actually owned by Edward's dad, Carlisle, and I moved in with a girl I was friends with from class. Well, the girl ended being a complete psycho…I'm not kidding you, I really think she needed to see a therapist or something. Anyway, after a semester of her, I was going completely crazy and needed to move out. But since it was the middle of the year and everyone already had roommates, Rosalie was already living with Emmett…Carlisle offered to find me an apartment in his building. Of course, there weren't any one bedroom apartments available at the time and Edward and Jacob had the spare room they weren't doing anything with…so…"

James laughed heartily as she came to the end of her story. "So…long story short, you didn't really have much of a choice, right?"

She nodded, feeling more at ease with him now. "Yeah, it was either two boys that I had known my entire life or the psychotic roommate from hell. It was a no brainer."

"Sounds like it. So Bella…do you mind if I grill you a little? You know...just get the awkward, first date, getting to know you questions out of the way so we can just move right past that…"

She shrugged, feeling a blush redden her cheeks. Good thing it was dark in the restaurant. "Yeah, sure. Only if I can ask you questions too though…"

He nodded. "Of course…alright, first things first…what were you like in high school?"

She bit her lip nervously, silently cursing herself…of course that question would come up first. "It's funny you should ask that…I…uh…."

"Let me guess," he laughed. "You were a helpless book nerd all your life and that carried over into high school."

"Something like that , yeah."

He laughed again. "Alright…fair enough. Well, I'll be completely honest with you…I tended to focus more on sports than school and I was lucky to even get accepted into a college, let alone this college."

She smirked at that. "Well, you know what they say, opposites attract."

He nodded, returning her grin. She felt her cheeks redden again and couldn't believe how well this was going. She was actually flirting and succeeding at it. She couldn't remember the last time she had tried to flirt, let alone flirt with a guy that was interested.

"Alright, next question. Who was your…date for your senior prom?"

Bella bit her lip. "Uh…it was Edward actually."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really? Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

"Yeah, well, my date stood me up and he hadn't asked anyone because well, he doesn't date…so he kind of stepped in, Carlisle lent him a tux, and he took me to the dance."

"Wow…I never thought the guy had it in him. I'd say I was impressed but then I think we both know Edward a little better than that…" He trailed off, a sly smile crossing his face.

She huffed at the very mention of his name. "You can say that again…anyway, so what's your major?"

"Business. And you?"

"English…I'll probably end up teaching."

He nodded. "I can see that."

The waiter brought them their food and poured them both another glass of wine. They started eating and Bella was relieved that she was feeling relaxed and calm. So far so good.

After James paid their bill, he escorted her out and led her to a bar next door. The music was pumping loudly and she was glad that she had had some wine before. She would feel a lot less awkward out on the dance floor with him now. And even if she looked like a complete spazz, at least he had been drinking already too…maybe she would get lucky and he wouldn't notice how hopeless she was on the dance floor.

He led her up to the bar and gestured to the bartender.

"So what'll it be, miss?" He said with glinting eyes.

She laughed. "Uh…get me a tequila sunrise…"

His eyebrows rose quickly. "Tequila? My kinda girl…"

She smiled and found herself laughing again. It had been a long time since she had laughed this much…especially on a date. "I'm just going to find the bathroom…I'll be right back."

He nodded and waved to her as she walked away, the same smile on his face that she was starting to find very attractive.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was pleased to see that Alice's makeup job had, for the most part, stayed put. She only needed to reapply a little of the lip gloss Alice had slipped into her purse and she pretty much looked the way Alice had left her. It was pretty amazing what a little eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara could do, especially when combined with a LBD.

Her heart fluttered a little when she remembered she needed to get back to James. He was waiting for her. She smiled at her reflection at that thought. It was nice to have someone waiting for her. Especially someone that seemed to be genuinely interested in her, in getting to know her, in making an effort to make her feel special and wanted. When was the last time that had happened?

Taking one last look in the mirror, she quickly left the bathroom and weaved through the now crowded bar to find James sitting at the bar. As she sat down, he grinned and pushed her tequila sunrise gently towards her.

He leaned into her and she could feel his warm breath on her ear. "There you go…as promised."

She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and closed her eyes a little. He was…definitely something. He really knew just want to do to get a girl going. Maybe, just maybe, he was someone worth keeping around for a little while, if even for the night. Quickly pushing away what she had told Edward earlier that day, she was quickly beginning to change her mind…calculating the last time she had been intimate with a guy. It had been…much too long and the number of her partners were definitely few and far between. And here James was, smiling at her like she was the only person in the entire place, like she was the only person he wanted to be with…and that was a good feeling. Maybe, just maybe, she could break her rule just for tonight. Even if she never saw him again after tonight, she never did anything impulsive. Never did anything scandalous. She was always the good girl. Good little Bella. Well, it was time for the bad girl to come out and play. She downed the rest of her drink.

After letting James buy her another tequila sunrise, this time ordering a double, she let him lead her out onto the dance floor. She felt his hands skim up the sides of her hips and she felt her body lean into him. It felt good dancing with him, even as her mind was swimming with the wine and now two mixed drinks she had had, it felt good to be dancing with him like that. Another song started playing and she felt James pull her even closer into his body. His hands rested firmly on her hips and soon, his hands were around her back and tangled in her hair. But bad Bella didn't mind one bit.

They kept moving on the dance floor, neither one really paying attention to anyone else on the dance floor. Another song came on, then another, and then another…and Bella had lost count of how many drinks both she and James had had. He moved a hand carefully to the side of her breast and she didn't even try to stop him. If that was where this night was going then…that's where it was going. She didn't care anymore. His hand gripped her breast a little harder and she let a moan escape her lips as her hips kept moving with the music.

It was then that something started to feel off. Her head was started to pound and her vision was so blurry she was seeing two of James. Her head tipped back as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. This was different than just feeling drunk. This was…something else. Her body started to tingle and she felt like she was going to pass out.

Something snapped in her head and she immediately pushed away from James. He started to pull her closer but she pushed her hands fiercely against his chest.

"No…get off me…I don't feel well…I'm just going to the bathroom…I'll be right back, ok?"

"Come on, Bella…you look alright to me…you're fine, just trust me…"

_Trust me_. In the fog, she vaguely remembered someone else saying that to her and she felt like she was going to be sick. He pulled her into him again and she pushed him off again, this time, getting a few worried reactions from the other dancers around them. James seemed to immediately recognize this and he let her go without a fight. Probably didn't want to make a scene.

Bella stumbled into the bathroom and dropped the floor. The room felt like it was turning upside down right before her eyes and the colors splattered on the floor were swimming together at an alarming speed.

With shaky fingers, she fumbled in her purse for her phone and hit the speed dial.

"Bella…what's wrong?" Alice answered worriedly.

She winced and fought desperately to stay awake long enough. "Alice...I think he drugged me…"

A/N--Don't hate, don't hate! I wonder what Edward's going to do...hahaha...R/R!!!!


	3. Comfortably Numb

A/N--Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I can't believe I got that many for one chapter...I never get that many for just one chapter...it really warmed my heart! And it's safe to say that reviewing is the easiest way to convince me to write faster...just a suggestion :)

BLEEDING LOVE

_There is no pain, you are receding.  
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.  
You are only coming through in waves.  
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'.  
When I was a child I had a fever.  
My hands felt just like two balloons.  
Now I got that feeling once again.  
I can't explain, you would not understand.  
This is not how I am.  
I have become comfortably numb._

--"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd

Chapter Three

"Bella? Bella? Can you hear me…Bella, where are you?" Alice pleaded frantically.

She was fighting as hard as she could to stay awake but her eyelids kept opening and closing of their own volition. Her head kept bobbing back against the tiled wall and she felt like she was underwater…everything was blurry and fuzzy; there was a loud buzz in her head and she knew Alice was saying something to her but she couldn't hear it. Something was very, very wrong here and yet, she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She let her head slide to the ground, immediately feeling better with the cold tile against her cheek. But the dizziness only seemed to get worse. She willed her eyes to stay open but soon her body refused to stop trying.

A flutter of movement by the door caught her eye and then she felt someone taking the phone out of her hand. There was a flash of red hair in front of her and she felt something wet and cold on her cheek. From far away, she heard a voice and what was left of her consciousness told her whoever had taken her phone was now speaking with Alice.

"Hello? My name is Tanya…yes, I'm with her right now...she looks awful…we're in the women's bathroom on the first floor…ok, I'll stay with her until you get here…"

Bella felt another rush of cold on her cheek and her body felt like it was upside down. Her eyes just wouldn't stay open and all she wanted to do was sleep…to sleep and make it go away. And then, because she had given up trying to resist what her body wanted to do, she let herself succumb to the blackness that enveloped her. The dizziness, her swirling stomach…the swimming colors in and around her head…it was all gone now and she finally felt nothing.

* * *

Alice furiously slammed her phone shut and met the worried eyes of both Jasper and Edward.

"I think he slipped something into her drink…" she whispered.

Edward's eyes widened and he gripped the edge of the bar stool to steady himself. Then his eyes glazed over with fury. In a split second, he was off the stool and sprinting out of the bar, with Jasper and Alice close behind.

"Edward, wait!" Alice yelled as they tried to catch up to him. But he was already crossing the street, weaving in between the cars that passed and honked at him in annoyance.

Jasper took off like a lightning bolt, dragging Alice behind him and they managed to gain some ground when Edward was abruptly halted by the line formed outside the bar. He tried pushing through the line but was roughly forced back by the bouncer. Edward coiled up and looked like he was going to take a swing before Alice grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Please, sir," she gasped frantically to the bouncer, who was none too happy. "My friend's in there and she's passed out in the bathroom…please, just let us in so we can get her some help…"

The bouncer looked between Alice's desperate face to Edward's crazed eyes and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and let them pass through the ropes. As they sprinted inside, Edward pushed Alice towards the direction of the bathroom.

"Go get her, Alice." He yelled violently.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" She asked with wide eyes.

His jaw clenched and even though the lights were dimmed, she could see his face had gone red with crazed madness. He didn't answer her, instead, turning swiftly to Jasper before gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Let's go, Jasper." He growled.

Alice must have sensed what was going to happen next because she abruptly turned on her heel and fled towards the bathroom. After seeing that Bella was going to be taken care of, Edward turned his attention back to the matter at hand and stalked through the bar, Jasper following closely on his heels. They weaved in and around the throngs of people. As soon as he caught sight of James, he let out a sharp snarl and launched himself through the crowd, knocking over a few dancers in the process. James didn't even know what hit him.

Within a matter of seconds, Edward swung, connecting with James' jaw with a sickly crack. James staggered back, knocking over a bar stool and stared at Edward, who was charging back at him with a crazed look in his eye, his breath coming in and out as haggard huffs. He looked like a bull, red in the face, and ready to rear his head into his target.

"Hold him, Jasper." Edward barked out. There was a large group of bystanders encircling them now but that didn't matter. Jasper obliged without hesitation, grabbing James with an iron grip by the arms with both hands, holding him in just the right place.

Edward swung again and again…he pushed James out of Jasper's deathgrip and grabbed him violently by the shoulders.

"What? Is this about your roommate?" James asked mockingly.

"You mother fucking bastard!" Edward screamed.

James just wiped the blood from his broken lip and smirked snidely. "Come on…Eddie, you know how it works…she doesn't mean anything to me and I wasn't going to do anything she wouldn't like…you should have seen her, pressed up against me like that. She wasn't going to say no and I was just speeding things up a little bit…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Edward ferociously pummeled him square in the jaw. He didn't stop until he was pulled back three of the bouncers.

* * *

Slowly and painstakingly, Bella was beginning to feel something again. Her body felt like a submarine; heavy, clunky, and slowly but surely, rising up to the surface. Her head throbbed and everything was hazy and dark; but something was starting to feel more normal. Off in the distance, within her cloudy mind, she heard a faint beeping noise and then something cool and damp on her skin. It felt good and she reveled in the fact that it actually made her better, not worse…there were no loud noises like she had remembered before everything had disappeared and she realized she was laying on soft sheets, not the cold tile she remembered from before.

"Bella…can you hear me? Please wake up, Bella?" A distant voice was calling through the clouds.

She knew the voice from somewhere but couldn't place it…it was so familiar…it was Alice, she realized with relief. So at least she hadn't lost her mind. Now she wanted more than anything to open her eyes, to let Alice know what she was finally starting to feel better but her body wouldn't let her. She commanded her eyes to open but they didn't listen. Maybe if she could just get something else to move…she willed a finger to lift and heard the beeping off in the distance beep a little faster. There. That wasn't so hard.

"Bella? Bella?" She heard Alice again. She felt something warm on her arm and realized it was Alice's hand gripping hers tightly.

Her eyelid fluttered briefly and she blinked as Alice slowly came into view.

"Alice?" She croaked.

Alice leaned forward excitedly before turning her head to yell: "Dad! She's awake!"

Bella looked around as the clouds began to clear and her brow immediately furrowed in groggy confusion. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital. My dad's coming…" she got off the bed quickly as another person came in the room.

"Bella?"

She recognized the voice immediately as Dr. Carlisle Cullen and she felt his cool fingertips on her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" He smiled warmly.

She winced and tried to sit up but his hands firmly kept her in place. "Just take it easy, now…one step at time. How are you feeling?"

"I…ugh…my head really hurts…my stomach doesn't feel too good either…" She responded in a daze.

Carlisle nodded good-naturedly and continued to check her over as Alice moved back to her previous position next to Bella.

"What happened?" Bella asked anxiously.

Carlisle and Alice exchanged a brief look of silent communication before Carlisle finally responded.

"Well, Bella, you were given rohypnol…more commonly known as a date rape drug."

Her mouth fell open but she shut it just as quickly. "What…"

Alice jumped in her father and squeezed Bella's hand tightly. "You were on a date with James…do you remember that?"

Bella winced and her brow furrowed as she tried to remember but it was hazy. "I…I think so…we went to dinner and then…a bar…I went into the bathroom and James gave me a drink…I don't remember much after that…"

Carlisle nodded in understanding. "Yes, that's normal effect from the rohypnol, Bella. Don't worry too much about that."

"Ok…so what happened, Alice?"

Alice looked worriedly between her father and her best friend and only spoke when she saw him give her a slight nod of approval.

"Well, Bella…you went into the bathroom and called me. You must have passed out and a girl took the phone and told me what was happening. She stayed with you until I got there. We called an ambulance and got you here as soon as we could. My dad's been taking good care of you…" She trailed off, giving her father a small smile of gratitude.

Bella laughed as much as her aching body would allow. "Good…he'd better…it's not like you haven't known me my whole life or anything like that…"

Both Carlisle and Alice laughed with her, visibly relieved that she was finally starting to look and sound much better.

"You know, Bella, there's a lot of people outside you would really like to see you." Alice said warmly.

"But if you're not feeling up to it…they can wait, Bella." Carlisle interjected carefully.

Bella shook her head quickly. "No, no…it's fine. Let 'em in…I'm sure they're all going out of their minds by now."

Carlisle nodded and left the room swiftly. Within seconds, Rosalie was bounding through the room and all but leapt onto the bed with her.

"Bella! Oh my god, I'm so glad you're awake! Are you feeling alright…you don't look so good…" Rosalie trailed off and Carlisle abruptly moved her out of the way, readjusted Bella's iv in the process.

"Oh god! I'm sorry Bella…I didn't mean to…" Rosalie whispered desperately.

"Nice going, Rose." Emmett muttered as he came up behind them, followed by Jasper.

Emmett grinned wildly when he caught sight of Bella. "Bells! You look absolutely beautiful…"

Bella just rolled her eyes and smirked. "Gee thanks, Em…you sure know how to make a girl feel better."

Bella's eyes roamed around the rest of the room, looking for two missing people and her heart lurched when she didn't see them. "Hey…where are Jacob and Edward?"

"He left a little while ago to shower but he should be back soon…" Jasper answered but trailed off.

Bella sighed…she had wanted to see him and felt a pang when it was clear she would have to wait a little longer to see her friend. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. It was then that she finally noticed the silent exchanges between her friends. They were looking helplessly between each other; Jasper was glancing around nervously, Rosalie was rolling her eyes, Alice bit her lip, and Emmett…well, he looked o the verge of laughter.

"Guys, where's Edward?"

All four looked around at each other again before Alice answered her, smirking as she tried to suppress a giggle long enough to respond: "He's in jail."

A loud fit of laughter erupted from the rest of her friends but Bella's brow just furrowed in confusion. "What? What's he doing in jail?"

Emmett shook his head and bit his lip. "When my idiot of a brother found out what had…happened…to you, he hunted James down at the bar you guys were at and practically killed him."

"He didn't almost kill him, Emmett..." Jasper retorted with annoyance.

Emmett huffed. "Well, you should know, Jasper. You were the one holding him so Edward could tear his head off."

There were more giggles at that and Bella could only blink in shock.

"He's really in jail?"

Alice nodded, her smirk quickly turning into an evil grin. "Uh huh, my mom's bailing him out right now…when the cops came, Jasper told them what James did to you and all they needed to do was look at you to figure out what happened…it probably wouldn't have been nearly as bad if Edward hadn't started punching James again when they got to the police station…"

Another fit of laughter erupted from the group and Bella just shook her head with disbelief. She couldn't belief that she didn't remember any of this. Or that Edward had actually defended her honor. Of all the times to be unconscious…

"So…James is in jail too?" she asked expectantly.

All four immediately nodded their heads with certainty.

"Yeah, Edward may be in trouble right now but James…he's really in for it." Jasper bit out through clenched teeth.

"Wow…I can't believe that happened…" Bella whispered.

"I know," Rosalie joined in. "Who would've thought Edward could even throw a punch?"

That another provoked another round of laughter, this time with Bella joining in, finally seeing the humor in the situation. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and let out a sigh of relief.

"Jake!" she exclaimed happily. "You're here!"

He was immediately at her side and peered down at her, his forehead creased with worry. "Are you alright, Bells?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "I'm feeling much better now, Jake."

He smiled with relief and leaned down to envelop her in a big bear hug. "I was so worried about you…I just wish I had been there to…"

"Don't worry about it, you're here now and that's all that really matters anyway."

She squeezed his hand and noticed another movement of white as Carlisle walked back into the room.

"How are you feeling now, Bella?" He smiled warmly.

"I'm feeling much better now that my friends are here."

He nodded and continued to smile. "I figured that would happen. From what I can see, you'll be clear to leave here in a few hours. I'm just waiting for some of your test results to come back clean…and you should call your father. I took the liberty of calling him and informed him of the situation."

Bella groaned loudly and rubbed her throbbing forehead. "Ugh…did you really have to, Carlisle…"

Her mouth opened wider with realization and a wave of terror washed over her. "Wait…he's not coming here, is he?"

He shook his head quickly and patted her hand. "No, I told him the situation was under control and that you were going to be completely fine…which you are, by the way…but you really should call him now that you're awake and alert."

Bella nodded helplessly and sighed painfully; she felt Jacob's hand squeeze hers tightly and she met his worried eyes.

"Do you want me to call him for you?" he asked carefully.

She shook her head firmly. "No…it's not your responsibility, Jake. Besides, I'm sure he'll feel better when he hears my voice, hears from me that I'm really ok and then he'll just leave me alone."

Jacob nodded and moved off the bed so Carlisle could finish examining Bella.

"Well," Carlisle said cheerily, in a poor attempt to lighten the mood. "It looks like you'll be free to go soon, Bella."

Bella just nodded and turned back to the sympathetic faces of her friends. Alice rubbed her arm, Rosalie pushed some hair out of her face, and Jasper and Emmett just fidgeted nervously before Alice handed her a cellphone.

* * *

Carlisle had been right. A few hours later, Jacob was helping her onto the couch in their apartment. He lifted her head gently and placed a soft pillow under her head before tucking a down blanket around her. He handed her the remote and smoothed the hair around her face.

"Do you need anything, Bells?"

She shook her head and smiled softly up at him. He was so caring, so protective, so sweet…it was a wonder to her that he didn't have a girlfriend. Some girl was going to be really lucky some day.

"No, Jake…I'm alright…"

He simply nodded back at her and stood but immediately was right back at her side when he noticed her eyes welling up with tears. He gripped her hand tightly and wrapped a strong arm tightly around her.

"Bells…you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…" he whispered into her hair.

She just shook her head, feeling her body tremble as she finally began to feel the weight of everything that had happened to her. It had hit her like a ton of bricks, abruptly and completely without warning. She was finally letting go and allowing her mind to scream out its natural response that she had desperately and stubbornly been repressing since she had woken up. She was finally scared shitless.

She clung to Jacob and allowed him to wrap his other arm around her in a protective embrace.

"Jake…this is all my fault…"

"No…no…" he soothed into her hair. "You didn't do anything wrong."

She lifted her head to see his face more clearly and looked him square in the eye. "No…you don't understand, Jake. I…I let him touch me and hold me…god, I was practically inviting him to sleep with me…"

"Bella," he interrupted sternly. "All of that doesn't mean anything. He was still the one that was trying to take advantage of you…how many drinks did he give you, Bella? Think about that…he obviously wanted you to keep drinking and everything you just said was just the effects of the alcohol, Bells. It wasn't you. You didn't do anything wrong."

She shook her head desperately and felt another wave of tears flood her eyes. "I was going to let him sleep with me, Jake. I had decided before I came from the bathroom, before he started giving me drinks…I had already made up my mind. God, I just feel so…disgusting…what the hell was I thinking?"

Jacob held her closer as she spoke and wiped the lone tear that slipped down her cheek. "You can't blame yourself for this."

She winced. "I know, Jake, I know…I just wish I had listened…"

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Listened to who?"

She shook her head. "Nevermind…I just want to sleep for awhile, alright?"

He nodded and released her gently, her head resting back on the pillow. He stood carefully and walked swiftly over to the lazy-boy across from her.

"I'll be right here in case you need anything, Bells. Just let yourself rest now."

She smiled and exhaled deeply as her eyes closed. This time, she didn't fight the darkness that crept on her. She most definitely welcomed it.

Two hours later, her eyes fluttered open and she stretched out her arms. She sat up carefully, glancing across the room at Jacob, who had nodded off in the chair. She smiled to herself and frowned when her stomach grumbled roughly. Ugh. At least she was starting to feel human again. Pushing the blanket soundlessly to the edge of the couch, she swung her legs over the edge and stood up on stiff, slightly uncertain legs. Stretching her arms over her head again, she padded softly to the bathroom and flipped on the light.

The reflection staring back at her might as well have been from a horror movie. She looked like death. Her hair was mashed against one side of her head and the other side was flipping wildly over her head. Her once perfectly lined eyes, courtesy of Alice's handiwork, were now streaked with dark lines from her tears and the raccoon-effect was definitely not flattering on her. Everyone had been so concerned about her but no one had been concerned about how horrifying she looked? The situation was almost comical. Almost.

Stepping carefully out of the bathroom, so not to wake Jacob, she crept into the kitchen and propped the refrigerator door open. A soft groan escaped her lips as she surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. There was hardly anything in it. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she tried to decide whether to laugh or be angry. They had no problem eating all the food but had absolutely no idea what the inside of a grocery store looked like. Typical boys.

She jumped when she heard the front door creak open and turned to see Edward coming in through the door. He froze in the doorway at the sight of her and she immediately noticed the black circle around his right eye. She opened her mouth to speak but clamped it shut almost instantaneously.

He bit his lip nervously and ran a hand through his wildly unkempt hair. He looked like he had almost as rough a night as she had. His clothes were rumpled and there was a slight tear in one of his sleeves but it was the look in his eyes that stunned her. He looked exhausted and nearly defeated. Still, there was a glint of worry and concern in those emerald eyes that she wasn't used to seeing. Especially directed at her.

He seemed to snap out of it and quietly shut the door behind him. Shrugging off his jacket, he placed it lightly on a hook and turned back to face her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a small step closer.

"So…" he began softly. "Are you alright?"

His eyes were shining with worry and it took her a moment to form words to answer.

"Yeah…I'm pretty much back to normal. Just really tired."

He nodded carefully, his brow furrowed and his eyes locked on hers with clear concern. "And he didn't…he didn't hurt you, right?"

His jaw clenched as he spoke the words and his eyes glinted with a new hardness now.

She nodded quickly and she heard him let out the breath he had been holding.

"I just got home a few hours ago…your dad…he took really good care of me, Edward."

He flinched at the mention of his father and she silently cursed herself for even bringing it up but she hadn't been thinking clearly. It felt like she hadn't been thinking very clearly over the last twelve hours…she supposed she was allowed a slip-up or two.

His eyes moved to the refrigerator behind her and she realized that she was still standing by it with the door wide open.

"You hungry?" He asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

She nodded. "Yeah, I am…but it looks like some thieves stole all my food."

He smirked and walked around the counter. "Well, I don't know about that but I do know that there's a pizza in the freezer."

He stepped carefully around her, shut the refrigerator for her and began searching for the pizza while she turned on the oven. As soon as he shut the freezer door, he was immediately at her side, pushing her gently away from the oven.

"I've got this, Bella. Just, please…"

She rolled her eyes at his insistence and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm perfectly capable of making a pizza, Edward."

He sighed with exasperation and stepped in between her and the oven, slowly forcing her backwards until her hips hit the back of the counter.

"I know," he said softy. "Humor me."

He gripped the sides of her hips and lifted her gently onto the counter. He didn't meet her eyes and abruptly turned back to the oven. She watched him put the pizza in and watched as he ran a hand through his hair before turning back to face her. He leaned against the counter next to the oven and stared nonchalantly at the floor, still never meeting her gaze.

For some reason, those actions annoyed the hell out of her and she sighed in exasperation and felt her jaw clench with suppressed anger.

"Alright…go ahead and say it."

His head shot up at her voice and his brow furrowed with confusion.

"Say it," she continued with bent-up frustration. "I know you want to…so just get it over with already."

His forehead was deeply creased with confusion now and his head tilted to the side in thought. "Say what?"

Something inside her snapped. "I told you so…go ahead and say it. Say I should have listened to you and that this is all my fault."

Edward's hand gripped the edge of the counter so tightly his knuckles turned white. His face went blank for a split second then it rapidly changed to anger.

"That's what you think I want to say?" He bit out.

She nodded, feeling her arms wrap around herself tightly. He gripped the edge of the counter more fiercely and she could see that vein pulsing in his forehead again.

"You think," he began again icily. "That's really what I want to say?"

He laughed bitterly and his head whipped around when he heard Jacob stir in the living room. He turned back to Bella after Jacob shifted in his sleep and stared at her with livid eyes.

"So, does it make you happy to know that you were right about him?" She spat.

He shook his head fiercely, taking a cautious step closer to her. "It doesn't make me happy, Bella. How could it possibly make me happy?"

She shrugged and looked away. "I don't know."

He stepped backwards until he was resting against the counter again. "I never wanted anything like this to happen. That's why I warned you about him. But it's not your fault that he was an even bigger asshole than I thought…the fucker deserves everything he gets now."

There was something almost condescending in the way he spoke that pushed her off the edge and suddenly, she couldn't stand being in the same room with him anymore. She was itching to hit something and he was the closest thing to her right now. He'd better watch out. Her eyes flew directly to his and she felt a rage of fire spread through her.

"And don't think for one second that I'm going to thank you for landing your ass in jail. That was really stupid of you, Edward. I can't believe you lost control like that…"

His expression changed abruptly and he matched her rage. "Oh…so, now you're mad at me for beating the shit out of the guy who slipped a date rape drug in your drink? Do they have you on some kind of mind-altering medication, Bella? Seriously? You're really going to be pissed at me about this…"

"I just think it was a dumb thing to do. It wasn't going to change anything."

A dark look flashed across his face. "That may be true but he deserved it."

"That may be true but that doesn't mean you had to do it."

"Are you purposely being antagonistic?"

She opened her mouth to respond but couldn't think of a decent comeback. He just nodded and his jaw clenched tighter in anger and annoyance. His hands were twisted in tight fists at his side and she wasn't sure if he was going to scream at her or throw the frozen pizza at her.

Instead, he closed the space between them until their faces were only a foot apart. His face had reddened and his was clenching and unclenching at an alarming rate. She didn't move. She couldn't move. His fierce eyes held her firmly frozen where she sat.

"Do you want to know what I wanted to say to you?"

He didn't wait for her to respond. "I wanted to say that I'm relieved we got there in time. I wanted to say that I'm glad I kicked the shit out of him and that spending the night in jail was worth it. And I wanted to say that I'm glad you're alright because if anything ever happened to you…"

He stopped short and his eyes narrowed with malice. "But you don't want to hear what I have to say, do you?"

Then he was gone; a few seconds later, his bedroom door shut quietly behind him, leaving her standing in the kitchen. At that moment, she had never felt so alone.

A/N--Emmett and Rosalie's joint bachelor-bachelorette party in the next chapter. That should be interesting...haha...R/R!!


	4. Lady Marmalade

A/N--Wow, again! Thanks for all the reviews and alerts...that makes me so happy! As you probably already figured out, the song lyrics in the beginning of each chapter also represent the chapter's title. That song usually serves as my inspiration for writing and represents the mood of the chapter...just in case you were wondering. Anyways, here's the promised chapter for the bachelor/bachelorette party. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it...and I would suggest finding the karaoke songs on iTunes or youtube when you read this, it makes it all that much more entertaining! So here's a little fluff for you...there's some plot development in here somewhere...

BLEEDING LOVE

_Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Sister Flow  
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Sister Flow_

_He met Marmalade down in Old New Orleans  
Struttin' her stuff on the street  
She said "Hello,  
Hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?" Oh_

_Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Ta Ta  
Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Here  
Mocha choca lata Ya Ya  
Creole Lady Marmalade_

_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?  
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?_

--"Lady Marmalade"

Chapter Four

"Hey Bella! Are you ready to go? Come on…we're going to be late and you know who is going to be very upset with us…" Edward called through the door.

Bella grimaced at his voice but still kept throwing clothes through the air as she desperately searched for something to wear. When she had seen what Alice had laid out for her to wear to Emmett and Rosalie's joint Bachelor and Bachelorette party, she eyes practically fell out of their sockets. There was absolutely no way she was going to wear a mini-skirt, let alone a mini-skirt with knee-length spiky heeled boots and a tank top that was practically transparent. Alice had completely lost her mind. She dug through her closet, tossing clothes out left and right, frantically searching because she knew she had run out of time. Ugh. If only she had caught on to Alice's dirty little trick sooner.

Her jaw set tightly as she thought back to how Alice had sneaked into her room several hours before and when she slid out from behind the door trying to go undetected, Bella cornered her almost instantaneously.

"What were you doing in my room, Alice?" Bella had accused.

"Why, Bella, don't look so suspicious! You know I would never, ever snoop in your room." Alice had replied innocently.

Bella's eyes narrowed warily. "Let's say that you _were_ snooping. What would you be looking for exactly?"

"Oh you know… Old Navy or Sears shopping bags…used condom wrappers…that sort of thing."

Bella just sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "What were you really doing in my room, Alice?"

"Well, I was just thinking that I wanted you to look extra special tonight so I was just laying out an outfit for you on your bed. Please promise you'll wear it…please…for me?"

Alice gazed up at her with her best puppy dog eyes and Bella just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Bringing out the big guns, are we? You know I can't deny you anything, my love." Bella smirked.

Alice let out an excited squeal and practically leapt into her arms. "Oh Bella! I knew you would say yes! I knew it! I can't wait to see you in that outfit…you are going to look so amazing…but…can I trust you to do your makeup on your own?"

Bella shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle it."

Now, Bella wanted to wring the little pixie's neck. Maybe she could string her up somehow using those deathtraps called boots. She sighed again as she held up a few shirts. No…Alice had had a point about looking extra special, but that didn't mean she had to wear that awful outfit Alice had so graciously picked out for her. She did want to look good for the party because it was a special occasion. Two of her best friends in the entire world were getting married on Saturday. That didn't happen very often and she didn't want to be underdressed…Rosalie would kill her if she was. At the very least, they had been wise about the party-planning and had scheduled the party on a Wednesday, allowing everyone some time to recover before the big day. It also meant that they, for the most part, would have The Twilight Club all to themselves since Wednesdays were usually dead nights for the club. Emmett had had the brilliant idea to hire a karaoke DJ, which everyone was especially excited for since they rarely had the opportunity for karaoke…except her. She was positively dreading it and she knew everyone was going to make her sing but she hated being the center of attention, which was why the boys could usually only convince her to sing one song whenever they had a gig.

"Bella?" Edward's voice came through the door again. "We're really going to be late…can I come in?"

She sighed and ran a hand nervously through her tousled locks. "Yeah."

His head peeked in the door and within seconds, he was standing inside her room, smirking at the disaster area.

"Wow…it kinda looks like a tornado went through here or something…" He laughed.

She sent him an evil glare and held up two tank tops. "Which one?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "I thought Alice picked something out for you already."

She scowled and held up the horrid skirt dangling from her finger. "She wanted me to wear _this. _There is absolutely no way I am going to wear a skirt…especially since I have a feeling that we're all going to be drunk out of our minds tonight and you know how I fall down a lot when I'm drunk."

He nodded with a big smirk on his face. "You fall down a lot, Bella."

She exhaled in exasperation and shook her head. "Yes, but can you imagine, me falling down, wearing _this?"_

He bit his lip to keep from laughing and grinned widely. "I suppose I see your point…but you know Alice is going to be really upset if you don't at least wear one thing she picked out for you."

She sighed and a pained expression crossed her face. "I know, I know…maybe I could wear the shirt she picked out if I wore a tank top underneath it…"

He laughed again and shook his head. "Well, I suggest you make up your mind soon because we need to get going."

Bella groaned in frustration and winced. "Alright, alright…just give me a minute."

After he quickly shut her door behind him, she hurried threw on the first black tank top she could find, then that stupid transparent tank top that was much too low cut for her taste, and then she settled on a pair of dark form-fitting jeans and black heels to appease Alice…who she knew would very upset to see that Bella hadn't worn the skirt. Maybe heels would be good enough for her tonight.

Edward and Bella sat in silence during the cab ride to the club. They hadn't had much to talk about since the weekend before but to his credit, when they did interact, he seemed to be much easier to handle. She figured he was just keeping his distance after everything that had happened and she couldn't blame him for that. Their conversation in her bedroom had been their first real conversation since he had been bailed out of jail and if anything, it had been fairly pleasant.

Alice practically tackled them when they walked into the club. "You're here! Yay!"

When her eyes surveyed Bella's outfit, her lips curled downward. "Bella? Why aren't you wearing that skirt I picked out for you…I'm hurt."

She continued to pout as Bella laughed. "Did you really think I was going to wear that sorry excuse for a skirt? Come on, Alice…you know better than that."

"A girl can hope." Was the sullen reply.

Still, Alice took Bella excitedly by the hand and led her into the club with Edward following closely behind.

"Oh, Edward?" Alice called, turning her head slightly. "I'm supposed to tell you that your man-whoring is to be put on hold tonight. You are not allowed to pick up any women tonight, per Rose's orders."

Both Alice and Bella giggled when they heard Edward's exasperated sigh behind them. When Rosalie caught sight of them, she all but leapt over the table to throw her arms around her two best friends.

"Ah!! I am so…happy right now!" Rosalie shrieked. "This is going to be the best night ever…I've already had three shots! Hahaha!"

This was going to be a loooong night.

With Jacob behind the bar mixing up the poisons, all six friends stood up to start the night off right with a shot.

"Tequila…all around, Jake!" Emmett yelled, slapping his hand down on the bar.

"Ooo wait, make sure to get salt and limes too, Jake." Rosalie called out behind Emmett, wrapping an arm seductively around his neck. "We are going to be so drunk tonight!"

"Just for the girls, Jacob…we men don't need training wheels…" Jasper replied, garnering a smack on the head from Alice. "Oww, babe, sorry…but it's true."

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, causing everyone else to break out into laughter. "Fine. I'll show you I can take it like a man. No salt or lime for me, Jacob."

Jacob just shook his head as he set out the shot glasses in front of Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. Then he slid two limes and a salt shaker over to Rosalie and Bella before placing their shot glasses in front of them. He slid a shot glass cautiously over to Alice, with his eyebrows raised in apprehension.

"You sure about this, Alice? You'll probably going to regret this later."

"I don't care, Jacob. I'm doing it." She stuck her tongue out at Jasper before picking up her shot glass.

When all six had their shot glasses raised in the air, Emmett called for the best man to give a bachelor-bachelorette party toast.

Edward nodded to him, grinning from ear to ear. "Alright, Em…here goes nothing. To my big brother and the love of his life…I wish you all the happiness in the world together…and I'm just fucking glad it's not me."

"Hey…" Rosalie replied while the others chuckled and the boys dutifully took their shots.

"Oh, just take your shot already, Rose." Bella whispered behind her.

They nodded to each other, licked the salt clean from their side of their palms, and took the shots in one gulp, quickly bringing the lime to their lips. Alice, however, was not so lucky. As soon as the liquid entered her mouth, she spit it back out onto the bar.

"Ahhh! That was horrible! That was the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted! Ugh! Sick! Jacob, can I have some water, please? I have to get this taste out of my mouth! Ahhhhh!"

While everyone else laughed hysterically behind her, Jasper wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. "So I guess you're off of tequila for a while, right, babe?"

She just glared up at him, causing the others to grip their stomachs tightly with laughter. When she turned her evil glare on them, the laughter immediately ceased.

"Alright!" Rosalie yelled. "I'm ready for some karaoke. And I want my future husband to serenade me. Right now!"

Emmett immediately blanched, a horrified look on his face. "What? Rosie…I can't go first…can I at least have a couple more drinks before…please?"

Rosalie smirked and slowly shook her head. "Nope. You told me you would do whatever I wanted tonight. Well, Emmett my love, this is what I want."

He gulped loudly and quickly asked Jacob for two more shots of tequila. When he had downed them within thirty seconds of each other, he smacked the shot glasses down forcefully on the bar. "Fine, Rose…what my lady wants, my lady gets."

He sauntered confidently over the DJ while everyone took their seat at the table, waiting for the show to start. They watched in amusement as Emmett spoke to the DJ. He started flipping through the song listing but stopped when the DJ said something to him.

"Oops, that's right." Rosalie smirked. "I forgot to tell him that I already told the DJ what he would be singing and to not let him sing another song, by order of his bride."

"Oh this is going to be good." Bella and Alice squealed in unison.

Emmett jumped up on stage as the music started playing. When they recognized the song, Bella and Alice yelled in excitement at the top of their lungs, and Edward and Jasper shook their heads while Rosalie leaned forward expectantly with a huge smile on her face.

He sent her a dark look as he gripped the microphone tightly.

He started singing very quietly, with pure mortification on his face:

"_I love myself I want you to love me  
When I feel down I want you above me  
I search myself I want you to find me  
I forget myself I want you to remind me."_

As the chorus picked up, he started rocking his hips a little to the music.

"_I don't want anybody else  
When I think about you I touch myself  
Ooh I don't want anybody else Oh no, oh no, oh no_!"

Rosalie was screaming at the top of her lungs now: "Yeah, baby! Shake it!"

Emmett responded with huge grin and raised his free arm to the top of his head as his hips gyrated seductively to the music. His head bopped from side to side as he continued to sing horribly off key.

"_You're the one who makes me come running  
You're the sun who makes me shine  
When you're around I'm always laughing  
I want to make you mine."_

He spun around as his body moved from side to side. His shoulders finally got in on the action and he turned around, shaking his butt out to the audience, eliciting a loud scream from Rosalie.

"_I close my eyes and see you before me  
Think I would die if you were to ignore me  
A fool could see just how much I adore you  
I get down on my knees I do anything for you."_

He leapt off the stage, dragging the microphone's cords behind him. He shook his hips right in Rosalie's face then spun around to create the same motion with his butt. Her hands shot out to grab it and he playfully slapped them away, shaking a finger at her as he continued to sing, his hips rocking to the beat with a finger trailing seductively down his chest.

"_I don't want anybody else  
When I think about you I touch myself  
Ooh I don't want anybody else  
Oh no, oh no, oh no_."

The song ended to an eruption of applause, whistles, and screams as Emmett grinned widely and put the microphone back in its place. As soon as he returned to their table, Rosalie leapt onto him, pulling him into a long, lust-filled kiss.

Alice rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Bella, an evil twinkle sparkling in her eye. "I think it's Bella's turn now."

Bella groaned and her head fell into her hands. "Please, no…"

Suddenly, she was bombarded with encouragements and slaps on the back.

"Oh come on, Bells." Emmett grinned. "If I can make a complete fool out of myself then so can you."

She sighed and pinched her nose. "Alright, Alice, what am I singing?"

Alice tilted her head to the side, a thoughtful expression crossing her face then she grinned brightly. "I know! Sing... 'Material Girl', I love that song!"

Bella sighed again and shook her head. "Alright, 'Material Girl' it is."

She grudgingly made her way over the stage and put in her request. Taking her place by the microphone, she dutifully crooned out the song as it started playing.

As the song began, Alice cocked her head to the side and watched Edward thoughtfully. He felt her eyes on him and he abruptly shifted his eyes to meet hers.

"What?" He snapped.

"Nothing." She smirked.

"Why were you staring at me then?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Alice sighed and pulled Edward down to her so she could speak over Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie's loud whistles and screams for Bella.

"You know, I never got the chance to tell you this because everything happened so fast and I know Bella probably didn't say much to you but…I wanted to thank you for beating the living daylights out of James last Saturday."

His expression changed rapidly and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh…"

She smiled softly and lightly kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good guy to have around sometimes. You really…you really care about her, don't you?"

He nodded carefully. "She's one of my best friends, Alice."

She nodded knowingly. "I know, Edward…I know."

Within moments, Bella was sitting back at the table with them. This time, she was the one with the evil grin on her face.

"Alright, ladies," she smirked. "I think it's time we all got up there."

Rosalie was immediately on her feet, clapping her hands excitedly and downing the rest of her drink. She was already up on stage before Alice finally stood up, shooting daggers at Bella the entire way. Rosalie threw her arms around Bella and Alice's shoulders and started gyrating her hips before the song even started.

"What are we singing, Bella?" Alice hissed as she gripped a microphone tightly.

Bella just grinned widely as the song started playing and Rosalie threw her arms in the arm when she recognized the song. Bella and Rosalie started dancing wildly to the music while Alice stood stiffly to the side as they began singing.

"_Tarzan and Jane were swinging' on a vine"  
Candyman, Candyman  
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine  
Sweet sugar candy man."_

Rosalie and Bella swung their hips seductively to the music as Alice kept to the side, barely singing along. Rosalie nudged her in the elbow and whispered lowly into the microphone, "Come on, Alice, if you don't start having fun up here, I'm going to rip you a new one…"

At that, Alice rolled her eyes but started shaking her hips a little as the song really got going, feeling a little more encouraged when Jasper whistled loudly.

"_I met him out for dinner on a Friday night  
He really had me working up an appetite  
He had tattoos up and down his arm  
There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm  
He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man  
A sweet-talkin', sugar coated candyman."_

The girls had the entire bar whistled and clapping loudly as they continued to dance on the stage. Soon, all three girls were grinding into each other to the beat, with Rosalie in the middle, running her hands scandalously along the hips of Alice and Bella.

"_He took me to the Spider Club at Hollywood and Vine  
We drank champagne and we danced all night  
We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise  
the gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline  
He's a one stop shop, make my cherry pop  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man  
A sweet-talkin', sugar coated candyman._"

Now the crowd was really going and Emmett and Jasper were on their feet, yelling, clapping, and whistling loudly. Edward was still sitting, covering his mouth in laughter and shaking his head. Rosalie waved coyly to the boys before abruptly turning to kiss Alice on the lips. Then she turned to Bella and kissed her too, causing the crowd to erupt into a frenzy.

"_Sweet sugar candy man  
He's a one stop, gotcha hot, making all the panties drop  
Sweet sugar candy man  
He's a one stop, got me hot, making my uh pop  
Sweet sugar candy man  
He's a one stop, get it while it's hot, baby don't stop  
Sweet sugar candy man, he got those lips like sugar cane  
Good things come for boys who wait  
He's a one stop shop with a real big ahh  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candyman."_

As the song came to an end, the entire crowd was on their feet, clapping wildly and the girls beamed out at the crowd as the boys whistled loudly from their table. They took a small bow and then jumped off the stage to return to their table.

"Wow…ladies, that was quite the show." Emmett yelled.

Edward and Jasper continued to shake their heads as they made room for the girls to breathlessly take their seats.

"What can I say," Rosalie replied seductively. "I got…inspired."

Emmett grabbed Rosalie by the waist and captured her lips roughly on his, much to the chagrin of the other occupants of the table.

"Oh God!" Alice exclaimed with shock.

Edward shook his head and gestured to the bar. "Let's go get another shot and leave these two idiots alone for a little while."

Emmett flipped them off, his lips still securely attached to Rosalie's as the others snickered and left the table.

"God, those two are disgusting!" Jasper laughed.

Jacob came over to them behind the bar and bit his lip. "Well, Bella, Alice…that was quite the display you guys put on."

Alice and Bella beamed at each other before giving each other a congratulatory high five.

"Alight, ladies, that's enough." Edward smirked. "Hey Jacob, can we have four shots of…"

He glanced at Jasper questioningly before continuing. "Four Apple Jacks, Jacob."

Jacob smirked and nodded before setting to work on making the shots.

"Ugh. I hate Jack." Alice whined.

Bella just shook her head and poked Alice playfully in the ribs. "Oh come on, Alice…take it like a man."

Alice stuck out her bottom lip but still took the shot glass that was offered to her. After they downed the shots, they smacked the glasses back on the counter.

"Four more, Jacob!" Alice yelled with an evil smile.

Jacob shook his head while Edward slapped Alice heartily on the back.

"Yeah! That's my baby sister! Who taught you to drink?" He yelled proudly.

She turned to him and looked at him with a wide grin. "You did, big brother!"

They gave each other exuberant high fives while Jasper and Bella rolled their eyes.

"You sure you want to be part of that family someday, Jasper?" Bella asked with a smirk.

He laughed and nodded as Alice wound her arms tightly around his neck. "You better believe it!"

This time, Edward and Bella rolled their eyes as Jasper pulled Alice in for passionate kiss.

Bella exhaled in annoyance and Edward nudged her with his elbow. "What is it with everyone tonight…you'd think there was a full moon or something…"

She laughed and took another sip of her drink. "Oh well…they're just in love…nothing special or anything like that."

He smirked at her and gripped her elbow to lead her back to their table. When they sat down, Rosalie and Emmett quickly untangled themselves from each other and smiled sheepishly at Edward and Bella.

"Sorry guys…" Emmett blushed. "I guess I got a little carried away for a while."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you passed it along to Jasper who is sucking our sister's face right now."

Emmett's head whipped around and his mouth dropped open in horror. "Jasper! Release my sister! Right. Now!"

Jasper jumped at the sound of Emmett's voice and immediately let go of Alice, who stuck her tongue out at her brothers, to Rosalie and Bella's benefit, who were laughing hysterically.

Jasper took Alice's hand and led her back to the table. When they were seated, Rosalie looked at the three boys with a wicked grin.

"Oh boys…" she slurred in a sing-song voice. "You know what would make me really happy right now?"

All three bit their lips nervously and shook their heads, eyeing each other worriedly.

Rosalie laughed evilly and clapped her hands together. "You boys are going to get up there and sing us a little song!"

Alice and Bella immediately cheered and smack their hands down on the table chanting: "Sing, sing, sing!"

"And I know just the song…" Rosalie was abruptly on her feet and glided over to the DJ. She whispered something to him and came back to the table with a triumphant grin on her face.

She pointed to the stage. "Get up there. Now!"

The boys looked at each other and shrugged. They saluted Rosalie and downed the rest of their drinks before rising to the occasion.

"Well, boys, I guess we're too drunk to remember this in the morning so why the hell not?" Emmett said, slapping the other two on the back as they made their way over to the stage.

"Rose, what are they going to sing?" Bella asked excitedly.

Rosalie opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted when a collective "What!?" came from all three boys on the stage. She laughed and clapped her hands wildly.

"You'll see…oh, this is going to be absolutely fantastic." She cheered as Alice and Bella turned their attention to the stage.

Edward grabbed a microphone and growled: "You are absolutely insane, Rose!"

"Sing the damn song!" Was her reply.

"Seriously, Rose…" Jasper pleaded.

"I'm the bride! I'm the bride!" Was all he got from the audience.

Emmett just shook his head at the other two, having already learned his lesson. When Rosalie wanted something, she got it.

Edward threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! You want a show, you got it!"

He nodded to the Emmett and Jasper, who nodded confidently in return. The music started playing, when caused Alice and Bella to squeal in anticipation. All three boys started rocking their shoulders as they started singing:

"_Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Sister Flow  
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Sister Flow."_

They started swinging their hips to the music and pumping a fist in the air as the crowd started clapping to the beat. Jasper did a little spin and took over the singing while Emmett and Edward shook their hips.

"_He met Marmalade down in Old New Orleans  
Struttin' her stuff on the street  
She said "Hello,  
Hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?" oh_

Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Ta Ta  
Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Here  
Mocha choca lata Ya Ya  
Creole Lady Marmalade."

They stuck out their butts and shook them in the air as they started singing together:

"_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?  
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?"_

They were moving their hips wildly and waving their arms in the air as they sang. Somehow, they all ended up in the same position as Alice, Bella, and Rosalie had been in for their song and started grinding together, thrashing their heads to the beat. Now it was Emmett's turn:

"_He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up  
The boy drank all her magnolia-wine  
On the black satin sheets oh I swear he started to freak_

Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Ta Ta  
Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Here  
Mocha Choco Lata Ya Ya  
Creole Lady Marmalade."

Rosalie screamed wildly and clapped her hands while Bella and Alice whistled. They stood up and started dancing along to the music at their table. Rosalie jumped up on the table and started swinging her hips lower and lower until she was almost touching the surface of the table. The boys followed her lead and sunk lower and lower totally in sync, causing another uproar of yells and screams from the crowd.

"_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?  
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?"_

Edward spun around and fell to his knees as he belted out:

"_Touching her skin feelin' silky smooth  
The colour of cafe au lait  
Made the savage beast inside  
Roar until it cried, More, More, More_

Now he's back home doing 9 to 5  
Living his grey flannel life  
But when he turns off to sleep  
Old memories meet, More, More, More

Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Ta Ta  
Gitchi Gitchi Ya Ya Here  
Mocha Choco Lata Ya Ya  
Creole Lady Marmalade."

He jutted his hips from side to side, his shoulders bopping up and down as he danced, which only caused all the girls in the room to fly into a frenzy. They finished out the song and after bowing to the crazed crowd, jumped down from the stage, grinning like Cheshire cats.

Rosalie leapt off the top of the table and directly into Emmett's arms and started kissing him wildly. "Oh my God, baby, that was so hot! I don't even care that you're a horrible singer!"

"Umm…guys…" Emmett managed to gasp out into between kisses. "I think we're going to get going."

He carried her out of the bar, with Rosalie's legs wrapped tightly around them with the others watched with amused grins.

"I think we should get going too, Jazz…" Alice whispered seductively as she traced circles on Jasper's leg. He gulped and immediately jumped up from the table, grabbing Alice's hand to pull her to the exit.

"Bye guys!" Alice called out as they practically sprinted to the door, leaving Edward and Bella sitting alone at the table.

Edward grimaced as he watched Jasper and Alice leave. "Ugh…that was something I didn't really need to see."

Bella shrugged as she finished the rest of her drink. "So what? She's happy. Isn't that all that matters anyway?"

He nodded and nudged his head towards the door. "So do you want to get out here or what?"

She finished sucking down the rest of her drink and nodded. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty drunk. I shouldn't have anymore or you might have to carry me out of here."

Edward laughed and grabbed their coats before running over to the bar to say goodbye to Jacob. Bella stumbled clumsily towards the door before falling flat on her face.

"Ow." She groaned into the floor and quickly pushed herself when she realized she had just fallen face first onto a dirty bar floor.

It only took Edward a few seconds to get to her side and he helped her stand. "Geez, Bella, I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

She frowned and smacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up and take me home."

"Your wish is my command." He smirked as he helped her stumble out of the bar.

When they walked out into the brisk winter air, Bella somehow tumbled out of his grasp and directly into the snow.

"Ah! Crap!" She yelled.

He laughed and once again, helped her stand. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned into him.

"So are you sad, Edward?"

He looked down at her and frowned. "Sad about what?"

Bella shrugged as he helped her steady herself. "Well, Rosalie said you couldn't take anyone home tonight…sorry for cramping your style."

He just laughed at her and smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, technically, I'm taking _you_ home."

She made a face and hit him on the shoulder. "That doesn't count! We live together!"

He shook his hand and laughed again. "Let's just get you home, Bella."

* * *

"Ow!" Bella yelped as she tried to take off one of her heels.

Edward sighed and took her foot in his hand, quickly undoing the strap that she had been struggling with. He helped her sit down on her bed as she managed to get the other shoe off by herself. He pushed her gently onto the bed but she just huffed and leapt off the bed.

She threw off her shirt and kicked off her jeans, leaving them in a pile at Edward's feet. She struggled to get off the tank top that had been underneath that stupid shirt Alice had forced her to wear but her arm got caught up in the side of it.

"Ow! Edward…help me, I'm stuck." She gasped.

Edward froze and shifted his eyes away from Bella, who was standing in front of him in her underwear, with her arm caught in her shirt, partially exposing her black bra to him. He swiftly grabbed the fabric, trying to advert his eyes as much as possible from what was below him, and lifted the tank top over her head. He threw it gingerly onto the pile of her discarded clothes and rose an eyebrow when she fell back into bed.

"I'm so tired…" she mumbled sleepily.

He smiled gently and pulled her comforter up around her, tucking the edges around her. He reached out to smooth her hair but his hand jerked back when she opened her eyes to whisper good night. Then he was gone.

As Bella drifted off to sleep, she could have sworn she heard the sound of the shower running off into the distance.

A/N---I hoped you liked it!! I bet you all thought something was going to happen at the end, didn't you? Oh well...things are just going to get a little more complicated from here...R/R!!!


	5. Misery Business

A/N--Thanks again for all the awesome reviews, favorites, and alerts! I can't believe and we're only on chapter 5!! Just so you all know, I have this story all mapped out already to about 27 chapters or so. Yay!! Anyway, keep the reviews coming! I absolutely love them and I absolutely love all my readers!! Ok, on to the next chapter...and back to the Edward we all know and love (even if we don't admit it)....

BLEEDING LOVE

_I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top  
She's got a body like an hourglass that's tickin' like a clock  
It's a matter of time before we all run out...  
When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth_

_Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change  
Once a whore, you're nothing more, I'm sorry that'll never change  
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged  
I'm sorry honey, but I passed it up, now look this way!_

Well, there's a million other girls who do it just like you  
Looking as innocent as possible to get to you,  
They want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right  
Well, I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!

--"Misery Business" by Paramore

Chapter Five

Light streamed in from the windows and crept up onto her bed. Her eyelids fluttered open, then she groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She tried to lift her head to get a glimpse of her alarm clock but her head was pounding too much for that much movement. As she rolled over to her side, her entire body froze in panic. She hastily yanked her comforter up and exhaled loudly when she saw that she was, indeed, wearing only her bra and underwear. Her eye shut tightly as images flooded back into her head of her and Edward dangerously close to her bed, him pulling her tank top off her head, pushing her onto her bed…her body was starting to convulse with panic and she forced her head to turn to the side. Please let no one be there, please let no one be there…she opened one eye cautiously and sighed deeply with relief when she saw that she was alone in her room. The one time she was grateful for that. And boy was she ever.

She didn't even want to think about the consequences of accidentally sleeping with Edward.

There was a light knock on the door and after a moment, Jacob poked his head in around the door.

"You alive?" He grinned.

She groaned and rolled back over. He chuckled and let himself in her room, placing a coffee cup on her nightstand so she could reach it.

"I brought you some nice hot coffee. I know that always makes you feel a little bit better after a night of drinking."

She groaned again and was barely able to open her eyes to respond. "How much did I drink last night? I feel like…ugh…I don't know what I feel like but it…hurts…owww…."

He chuckled again and sat down on her bed next to her. "You know, Bells, I think even I lost count after a while."

She grimaced and rolled over onto her side. "I was afraid of that. I am never going to drink again. Ever. Especially not tequila," she shuddered as she spoke. "God, not tequila."

He smirked and patted her arm good-naturedly. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what did you all in last night. But who cares? You had a good time, right? That's all that matters. It was a bachelor and bachelorette party after all. That's exactly what's supposed to happen. Everyone is supposed to get falling down drunk and if you don't, then you're doing something wrong."

That got a little bit of a smile out of her.

"What time is it? No, wait…don't tell me, I don't want to know." she grumbled.

He smiled and gently ruffled her already ruffled hair. "Come on, get up already. You have to get to class…I'll make you breakfast."

She groaned again and covered her face with her hands. "Ugh…I don't think I'm going to class today."

Jacob's eyes widened in shock. "What? Do you mean to tell me that Isabella Swan, little Miss-I've-never-ever-ever-skipped-a-class-in-my-life is…skipping class? Wow, I guess there's a first time for everything."

She threw her pillow at him and laughed. "Shut up, Jake. What are you making for breakfast?"

"Well, Edward's got some eggs and bacon going but if there's something else you want…"

She groaned at the mention of their other roommate, who had most definitely received a show the night before. From what she could remember of her tequila-induced stupor, not only had she stripped down to her bra and underwear right in front of him but he had _helped_ her strip as well. Could anything be goddamned worse than that?

She sighed and nodded. "Alright, alright, Jake. Just give me a second to change and I'll let you shove some food down my throat."

He chuckled at her, shaking his head, and got up to oblige her. She cautiously waited until the coast was clear and slipped out of bed, hurriedly threw a shirt and some lounge pants on over her poor excuse for pajamas. When she opened her door with her coffee cup in hand, her senses were immediately hit with the aroma of eggs and bacon, just like Jacob had promised. But she hadn't been expecting it to make her want to vomit. Ugh. Now she felt even more sick to her stomach. Just the thought of food made her want to run straight for the bathroom. No more tequila. Ever.

Jacob was leaning against the counter, talking animatedly to an extremely disheveled and exhausted-looking Edward, who was scrambling some eggs in a skillet. As soon as Jacob caught sight of her, his face lit up immediately. Edward, on the other hand, was smirking and biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Hey, Bells! You're starting to look a little better." Jacob laughed.

Edward bit down on his lip and grinned widely as he flipped some eggs onto a plate. When he held the plate out to her, she grimaced and quickly shook her head.

"No eggs _and _skipping class?" Edward snickered. "Wow, you must have been worse than I thought."

She scowled up at him in annoyance and brushed past him to refill her coffee cup. "I don't see what's so funny."

"Oh, come on, Bells," Jacob appeased. "We're just having a little fun…you remember fun, right?"

She snorted and took a sip of her coffee. "Fun doesn't agree with me right about now."

That got a chuckle out of both boys and Jacob ruffled her hair playfully once more before slinging his backpack over his shoulder and heading towards the front door.

"Well, it's been _fun_, but I'm off to class. See you kids later!" He called before shutting the door behind him.

Bella glanced hesitantly at Edward, whose attention was solely focused on eggs he was scrambling in the skillet. She bit her lip, trying to decide whether or not she should say something to him about whatever had happened the night before. For one, she didn't want to draw any more attention to the 'incident'. She also had no intention of embarrassing herself anymore than she already had. But, on the other hand, she was dying to know just how much she had embarrassed herself. She was praying to God that she hadn't said or done anything that she would live to regret. But again, maybe what she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her either. Unfortunately, Edward made the decision for her.

"Just so you know," he began softly. "Neither of us did anything stupid last night. You did, however, basically take off all your clothes in front of me but I promise you I did the gentleman thing and I didn't peek. Not even for a second. Scout's honor."

He placed a hand over his heart and saluted her with the other, which, regrettably for her, caused her to giggle.

"Well, I can't say I'm not relieved. When I woke up this morning, I was absolutely terrified that you were next to me."

His eyebrows rose in surprise, with a hint of suspicion laced in his eyes. "Really?"

She laughed in spite of the now awkward situation and bit her lip. "Well…yeah. I mean, come on, wouldn't that be awful? We wake up next to each other after a drunken night of doing God knows what…I can't think of anything worse."

She laughed again but took a cautious step back when his eyes narrowed at her.

His jaw tensed tightly and his spare hand twisted in a fist at his hip. "Well, I'm glad nothing happened then."

For lack of a better thing to do, she just smiled and finally took the plate of eggs he had offered to her before. They ate in silence with Edward refusing to make eye contact with her and Bella trying desperately to think of something useful to say until there was a light knock at the door. Bella immediately scrambled over to answer it, thankful to finally have something to do other than feel awkward.

She breathlessly flung open the door to reveal a nervous Carlisle. When their eyes met, he smiled happily.

"Well, Bella, I see you're doing much better than the last time I saw you." He greeted warmly.

She laughed and reached up to embrace him. "Thank you. I am feeling much better actually. I had a pretty good doctor taking care of me so I wasn't too worried."

"I'm glad. May I come in?"

"Actually," Edward's voice came from behind Bella. "I'd rather you didn't."

Carlisle frowned and sighed in exasperation. "Edward, please, I just came over to check on Bella and to speak with you."

"Well, _father_, as you can see, Bella's doing fine. And I don't want to talk to you. So you can leave now." Was the curt response from the kitchen.

Carlisle sighed again and looked helplessly to Bella, who simply nodded and stepped aside so he could enter the apartment. A low growl came from the kitchen and Bella shook her head in Edward's direction.

"Thanks, Bella." Carlisle whispered to her as he ventured deeper into the apartment.

"Edward," he began again. "I would really like to speak with you."

Bella took that as her hint to give them some space and started heading back towards her room when Edward's firm voice halted her.

"You don't need to leave, Bella. Whatever you have to say, _father_, you can say in front of her."

Carlisle rubbed his temples in frustration and shook his head slightly. Since it was obvious to both Bella and Carlisle that Edward was not going to be giving in anytime soon, he tried again.

"Alright, Edward, we'll do this your way then." He stepped deeper into the kitchen and Edward crossed his arms reflexively over his chest as his father neared.

"Say what you need to say and then leave." Edward snapped.

Carlisle sighed deeply before he began to speak again. "Edward, your mother and I are worried about you."

Edward snorted and laughed bitterly. "Worried about me? Since when do you care? Ever since I got rejected from medical school, you've barely spoken to me."

Carlisle sighed again and rested his hands on his hips as he spoke. "Son, that was almost a year ago and I admit, I reacted poorly but that doesn't change the fact that you are still my son and I care what happens to me."

Edward scowled darkly. "Yeah, well you have a great way of showing it."

"Look, your mother and I are worried about you. Your grades are falling, you spend all your time in that night club…you have countless one-night stands…"

"How the hell do you know about any of that?" Edward fumed, his fists balling fiercely at his sides.

Carlisle held up his hands defensively. "There's always talk, Edward. Your mother hears things about you and she's worried to death about you. Listen, you need to seriously consider changing some things in your life…if not for me, do it for your mother. She can barely sleep at night she's so worried."

"Oh yeah? If she's so worried about me, then why didn't she try talking to me herself?"

"Well, for one, you rarely talk her calls anymore and when you do choose to speak with her, she can only keep you on the phone for about two minutes. And I think …I think she wants us to start getting along again but I can see now that you aren't ready for that yet."

Edward grunted furiously. "Fat fucking chance of that ever happening."

Bella shifted uncomfortably to the side and looked nervously from Carlisle's distraught face to Edward's menacing one. Time to leave. "I'm just going to give you guys some space..."

She walked briskly around Carlisle and was almost past the kitchen when Edward's arm shot out and stopped her right in her tracks.

"No, Bella, you don't have to leave. You live here. He should leave." He spat out.

Bella froze and her eyes again darted anxiously from Carlisle to Edward, who now seemed to be entering a stalemate with each other.

"Oh no…" she stammered. "That's alright, Edward, I need to shower anyway and…I have some other…things…I have to do so…"

Edward's hand gripped her arm tighter. "No, you don't have to do that. He should respect that I want him to leave and just leave."

Carlisle was starting to get slightly red in the face and now his jaw was clenched tightly. "Edward, you're taking this too far. All I want is the best for you and I still think that you could reapply and…"

"And what, Dad? You throw some money at a few schools and one of them takes pity on my plight and offers to take me in? No thanks. I'm fine with the choices I've made and I'm perfectly happy with the life I'm leading."

"Oh, so, skipping school and running around with a different girl every night is an ideal life style for you?"

"For right now, yes, it is. And who I spend my nights with is none of your business."

"It is if you're not being safe, son…"

Edward threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Come on! I know you think I'm stupid, but do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Carlisle sighed and shook his head. "I'd like to believe that you're not. But let me say this one thing and then I'll leave. You need to seriously rethink the way your life is heading while you still have time to change it. Before you get some random girl pregnant and before you fail every class you're taking. You can turn things around. Your mother and I know you can do it, you just need…the motivation. I know you love playing in the band with your brother and Jasper, but maybe it's time to take a break from that and focus back on school."

Edward narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Yeah, you would think that. You said what you wanted to say, now get out."

Carlisle nodded sadly and said goodbye quickly to Bella before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

Edward exhaled deeply and covered his face with his hands. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and winced.

Bella placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "You know, I think, in his own way, he really wants to make things right with you. I know some of the things he just said maybe didn't come out right, but I think he has the best intentions."

His eyes immediately snapped to meet hers. "Don't defend him, Bella. You of all people should know what I'm feeling right now."

She sighed and nodded. "You're right. I do. I'm just lucky to not have to live in the same city as my father. But I still meant what I said. Just because I have no interest of ever repairing my relationship with my father, doesn't mean you can't with yours."

He shook his head and sighed, his eyes darting up to the ceiling. "Let's talk about something else."

"Alright."

His head turned back to face her. "So…are you going to the club tonight or are you going to puss out on that too?"

She smirked and punched his shoulder playfully. "Well, if Alice and Rosalie decide to go, I'll probably go too."

"Follower."

"Sleazebag."

He laughed good-naturedly and tossed the skillet into the sink before wiping down the stovetop.

"Whatever." He muttered under his breath.

Bella just laughed and opened her mouth to respond with some smart-ass comment when she heard her phone ringing in her room. She sprinted into her room and pole-vaulted across her bed, snapping the phone open as soon as she got her hands on it. Ugh. It was that evil little pixie.

"Good afternoon, darling Bella." She said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

"Hello, Alice. What do you want?" She replied in annoyance.

"Well, well, well…that is no way to talk to your best friend in the whole wide world. Anywhoo, I was wondering if you had any plans tonight…ok, forget that, I know you don't have plans tonight so my real reason for calling was to tell what your plans are for tonight. Rose and I'll pick you up at around 8, we'll get some dinner, and then head over to the club to listen to the guys play tonight. Let's see…what should you wear…"

Bella could practically hear her tapping her foot over the phone in thought and she groaned. "Oh come on, Alice. I can dress myself for one night. God…you're horrible."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"See you at 8?"

"Sounds good to me."

Bella sighed as she snapped her phone shut and glanced at her alarm clock. Well, at least she had enough time to take another nap and find something half-way decent to wear.

* * *

Several hours later, Rosalie, Alice, and Bella walked through the doors of The Twilight Club. Alice had only managed to say one critical comment about Bella's choice of attire, which meant that tonight was going to be a good night, for Bella at least. She always seemed to have more fun when her two best friends were not badgering her about going shopping for a new wardrobe.

The club was crowded like it was any other night and the girls had a hard time pushing their way through to get to the bar. Jacob waved them over as soon as he caught sight of them and started waving his hands at the couple sitting in front of him, gesturing for them to make room for the three approaching girls. By the time they sat down at the bar, he already had Bella's drink waiting for her and was in the process of making Alice and Rosalie's drinks.

Alice waved at the stage and Jasper grinned widely when he saw them. The boys were knocking out a cool rendition of "California Waiting" by Kings of Leon and all three girls quickly found themselves dancing and singing along with Edward, even though it was difficult to hear him over the noise of the crowd and the screaming girls.

Alice kept waving until she caught Edward's attention and he smirked and winked in their direction as he continued to sing through the rest of the song. Out of the corner of her eye, Alice noticed something that caused her to roll her eyes and groan under her breath. Somehow, Bella managed to notice this and nudged her with her elbow.

"What's wrong, Al?" She asked, with amusement glinting in her eyes.

Alice groaned again and shook her head. "That stupid blonde bimbo is eyeing up my brother."

She threw her head to the right and Bella's gaze followed in that direction until she found what she was absolutely positive Alice was upset about. Ugh.

"Oh god, not Jessica Stanley. That girl is pure evil."

Alice snorted and took another sip of her drink. "You got that right. I hope to God my brother doesn't even think about taking her home tonight. Who knows where she's been!"

Bella laughed and then her eyes took on an evil glint. "You know, Alice, it would probably serve him right with all his man-whoring."

Alice's face took on a look of mock horror and she was soon laughing right along with Bella. "You're absolutely right, my friend. It would teach him a good lesson about being more selective but still…for the sake of his health, I really hope he doesn't."

"Yeah, well you're not the one who has to see them in the mornings. Most times, it's the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. Every girl, every morning, it's the same thing. They get up and go to the bathroom and then they're out of our apartment faster than you can say 'skank'. You know, sometimes, I wonder what he says to them to make them leave so fast but on the other hand, I don't think I really want to know."

Alice just shook her head. "Our already low opinion of him would sink even lower if we knew. So it's probably better that we don't."

They both laughed and clinked their glasses together in a mock toast. They watched with equal disgust as Jessica inched closer and closer to the stage, as she pushed the other screaming girls away so she could get a better look at Edward. He, much to Alice and Bella's chagrin, noticed this action on the floor below him immediately and shot Jessica one of his trademark seductive grins, which of course, only encouraged her to move closer until her body was practically pressed up against the edge of the stage.

"Oh God, here we go." Alice groaned as she downed the rest of her drink before slamming it on the bar for Jacob to refill.

As the song ended, Edward's voice rang out throughout the club. "Alright, guys. It's that time of night where I get to take a little drink, grab myself a drink and the time where you get treated to our lovely Bella Swan over there. Bella, get up here!"

Alice nudged her playfully. "Sing one for me, baby!"

Bella rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance as she made her way over the stage. While she climbed up on it, Edward promptly jumped down, without even bothering to hand her the mic. Bella picked it up from where he had discarded it on the stool and immediately noticed that Jessica had already wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. She gritted her teeth in annoyance and caught sight of Alice standing at the bar with her tiny fists balled at her hips in anger. She, too, was obviously not very happy with the latest turn of events in the Edward-is-a-slut-saga.

Forcing herself to just let it go and sing, she turned to Emmett and Jasper, who were patiently waiting for her to tell them which song to start playing. She decided it was probably a good idea to send Edward a little message and whispered her request to Emmett and Jasper, who grinned widely before started off the song.

Bella shifted her feet onto the stage and held the mic tightly in her hand. She cast a quick glance over to Edward, who was now sitting at the bar next to Alice with Jessica basically straddling him. Alice, however, was practically seething.

She smirked in their direction and began to sing:

"_This boy here wants to move too fast  
He see's my future as having a past  
Well, I don't think so  
I don't think so_

That boy there, well he's playing a fool  
He thinks he's funny and he thinks he's cool  
Well, I don't think so  
I don't think so

Cheap date, bad taste of nothing like gone to waste  
Talking about nothing in so many words  
It's not like I'm not trying  
'Cause I'll give anyone a shot once

And, I , I close my eyes  
And, I kiss that frog  
Each time finding  
The more boys I meet the more I love my dog."

Her eyes travelled around the bar as she sang and she smiled widely when she saw Alice clapping her hands wildly and singing along. Edward, however, was watching her with annoyance in his eyes, his attention seemingly equally divided between her on stage and Jessica, who was now sitting on his lap and whispering something into his ear. Bella shrugged it off and kept on singing:

"Here's this guy, thinks he's bad to the bone  
He wants to pick me up and take me home  
Well, I don't think so  
I don't think so

Cage fights, PlayStation, X-Games rated nation  
Oversize paints with an ego to match  
It's not like I'm not trying  
'Cause I'll give anyone a shot once

And, I , I close my eyes  
And, I kiss that frog  
Each time finding  
The more boys I meet the more I love my dog

Why can't they be like the one's that mean everything to me  
The one and loyal, open and friendly  
It's not like I'm not trying  
'Cause I'll give anyone a shot once

I close my eyes  
And, I kiss that frog  
Each time finding  
The more boys I meet the more I love my

I close my eyes  
And, I kiss that frog  
Each time finding  
The more boys I meet the more I love my dog

The more I love my dog."

Loud applause and whistling erupted from the captive crowd and she too a little bow, which earned her some more whistles. She laughed and high-fived both Emmett and Jasper before jumping energetically from the stage, delicately placing the mic back down where Edward had so graciously left it for her before.

Edward just brushed past her without even making eye contact with her, with Jessica following closely behind. When he got back on stage, he grabbed his guitar and started strumming out the opening chords for "Every Rose Has Its Thorns" by Poison; Jessica resumed her position and rested her body right next to the stage, elbowing the other girls around her too make some room.

By the time Bella got back to the bar, Jacob already had another Captain and Diet waiting for her next to Alice.

"That was amazing, Bella, as usual!" Alice chirped happily.

She leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "I doubt he got the message, though."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's probably too dense to figure that one out."

Alice giggled and placed her drink down on the bar. "Hey, did you see Rose up there? I haven't seen her since we got here."

Bella rolled her eyes and nodded towards the stage. "Oh she's over there alright. I saw her practically backhand one of the girls who was trying to get a better look at Emmett. Figures. I wonder how she's going to act after the wedding."

Alice shrugged. "Well, good thing we don't have to wait too long to find out."

Bella snorted and took a sip of her drink. They continued through the rest of the night, with their drinks and listening and dancing to the music. When the night was finally over, Alice watched with curiosity as Edward hastily leapt off the stage and ran off somewhere. Shrugging, she looked over to Bella, who was clearly needing to leave after having a little bit more than she had intended.

"Ready to go soon, Bella?" Alice asked.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I'm just going to run to the bathroom real quick."

"Ok, I'll see if I can find Rose and I'll meet you at the door."

"Sounds good." Bella called as she started moving with the crowd to get to the bathroom.

It took her longer than usual to get inside, but once she was in, she was surprised to find it empty. She quickly walked into a stall, knowing that she needed to hurry up because Alice and Rosalie were going to be waiting for her. As she sat down, she noticed immediately that she was not alone after all. There were not one, but two pairs of legs in the stall next to her and she felt her face redden when she caught the sound of kissing and saw the stall shake slightly at her side. The couple next to her were obviously doing a lot more than kissing. She almost laughed out loud when she heard a moan and then the stall really started shaking. Alright, definitely time to get the hell out here. She hurriedly left the stall and ran over the sink to wash her hands when she heard it:

"Oh…Edward…hmmm…"

Bella froze and her mouth dropped open in shock. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she felt like someone had just sucker-punched her. She winced as Jessica's voice cascaded through the room again.

"Fuck me harder…harder…hmmm…"

No fucking way. Her jaw clenched and unclenched in anger and her fists balled tightly at her sides. Without any further hesitation, she burst out of the bathroom, desperately trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. Why did it matter so much? Whatever it was, it completely infuriated her and she wanted to bitch-slap something, particularly Jessica, then Edward. This couldn't be happening. There was no way she had just heard and practically seen them having sex in a public bathroom but she most definitely had. She was seething. She was irate. She was utterly and irrevocably crushed; feeling she like had just been run over by a truck and punched in the gut at the same time. She was madder than hell and she suddenly wanted to crawl into a ball and crying her eyes out. Now all she wanted to do was get home and get out of that fucking club and away from her fucking poor excuse for a roommate and friend. But she knew there was no way she could go home tonight. She would have to see them together in the morning and she wasn't about to subject herself to that. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

She caught sight of Alice and Rosalie, who were waiting for her by the door. When they noticed her, they immediately recognized the distraught look on her face and flew by her side.

"What's wrong, honey?" Rosalie asked worriedly.

Bella just shook her head, not wanting to go into the details. It was bad enough to have to see it, but talking about it?

"Can I stay with one of you guys tonight? I don't mind sleeping on the couch…I just…I don't want to go home tonight."

Alice and Rosalie looked cautiously to each other before Alice nodded carefully.

"Ok, Bella, you can stay with me and Jasper tonight. I know he won't mind but…what's going on?"

"I don't really want to talk about it right now. Can we just go, please?"

Alice nodded and shot Rosalie a look as she spoke. "Ok, let's go. Why don't you text Jacob and let him know you're not coming home tonight, ok?"

Bella nodded and allowed herself to be led away from the club and away from the one person who she now hated more than anything in the world. He was officially the scum of the earth and she didn't want to speak to him ever again.

A/N--Ugh. I know, Edward's back to his man-whoring ways again...even though I don't think he ever really left it, but anyways, I hope some of the questions about Edward and Carlisle were cleared up and hopefully, you caught the part about Bella and Charlie because all of that's going to be coming up again. Emmett and Rosalie's wedding next!


	6. Apologize

A/N--Thanks again for all the review, alerts, and favorites! You guys are awesome!!!! On to the next chapter, hope you enjoy...

BLEEDING LOVE

_I'm holding on your rope,  
Got my ten feet off the ground  
I'm hearin' what you say but I just can't make a sound  
You tell me that you need me  
Then you go and cut me down, but wait  
You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say..._

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new  
I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late.

--"Apologize" by One Republic

Chapter Six

Rosalie's ivory wedding dress swished delicately at her feet as she took in her reflection. Her hair was done up in a pretty twist, with a few wisps framing her shell-shocked face, her newly-painted fingernails nervously twisted the lace veil that Alice had just placed carefully at the top of her head. Something still wasn't right. She knew it.

"Rose," Alice chided in exasperation. "Would you stop fidgeting? Everything is going to be perfectly fine…Bella will be back in a few minutes and I'm sure she straightened everything out with the caterers. Just relax. Be calm. Take a deep breath. In and out. In and out, Rose."

Rosalie started fanning herself with her hand, as beads of sweat threatened to slip down her face. Something wasn't right. Emmett wasn't going to show up or the caterer wasn't going to make it…it was as if someone was determined to ruin this carefully planned day for her.

Now she started to pace.

"I don't know, Alice. I just have this weird feeling that something's going to wrong…what if Bella can't figure things out with the caterer? What if there's no food? What will we do?"

Alice chuckled. "Well, first of all, you're going to get all your money back. Second of all, we'll find a way to feed all these people if it kills us. Besides, my dad would find a way to take care of everything. Don't worry, Rose. You've worked so hard to make everything perfect…now you just need to let everything actually be perfect."

Alice placed a reassuring arm on her friend's shoulder and Rosalie rested her head lightly on top of it.

Outside, however, things were not going as smoothly.

Bella gripped her cellphone tightly and grasped for Jasper's hand as he knelt next to her.

"What do you mean the food got spoiled?" she started to shriek but quickly lowered her voice as Jasper gestured for her to keep it down. "How are we supposed to feed 200 people? I don't care that you don't know…you'd better figure it out…you don't understand what you're dealing with here…the bride…she's going to hunt you down and murder you for this…how could you let this happen?"

She looked at Jasper helplessly, who just bit his lip and shook his head. He was at a loss. They sat in the hallway of the church, both dressed in their wedding attire and preparing for complete disaster. Rosalie was going to throw a shit fit when she found out.

Edward poked his head out from the door and Bella caught Emmett pacing nervously from the other side of it. He promptly walked over to where Bella and Jasper sat and mouthed: "What's going on?"

Bella just shook her head in annoyance, not wanting to have to deal with him too, and rose from her chair as Edward closed the distance to where they sat and promptly marched over to the other side of the hallway.

"Seriously," she continued arguing. "What are you going to do about this? They've already paid you and you have to provide some kind of food…there's got to be something you can do."

She threw her head back in frustration and exhaled loudly. After a few more minutes of arguing, she promptly thrust the phone in Jasper's face.

"Here…can you please talk to them? They're not listening to me. Maybe you can do a better job of convincing them to come up with something better than cheeseburgers as an alternative to filet mignon."

Jasper's eyebrows rose in disbelief and he reached out a shaky hand to take the phone, before quickly rising out of his head and moving to where Bella had just been standing.

Bella threw herself into Jasper's seat next to Edward and started rubbing her temples exhaustedly.

"So, they really messed up the food?" Edward asked cautiously.

She tensed at the sound of his voice and winced involuntarily.

"Yes," she replied tersely. "The caterers royally fucked everything up. I told them they had to come up with something so we could feed everyone and they actually said the only thing they could probably whip up on such short notice was cheeseburgers or fried chicken. Can you believe that? Rose is going to tear this place apart!"

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Wow."

"You can say that again." Bella muttered under her breath.

They sat in uncomfortable silence as they listened to Jasper argue, as quietly as possible, with the caterers, who were apparently still unable to come up with a better solution. Bella fidgeted agitatedly in her seat and nervously smoothed the new crease in her dress, becoming more and more aware at how uneasy she felt sitting so close to someone she had purposely been avoiding like the plague. She had made every effort to keep her distance from him, sitting as far away from him as possible at the rehearsal dinner the night before, refusing to make eye contact or speak to him unless she absolutely had to and all but locking herself in her room when she had returned home Friday morning after spending the night at Alice and Jasper's. Thankfully, Jessica was gone by that time. Yet, she had still had to face Edward, which was just as painful.

All this of course, had obviously not been lost on Edward, who was now watching her carefully with a wounded expression.

He bit his lip, as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing, of upsetting her even more than she already was because he suspected that she was upset about more than just the catering difficulties they were currently experiencing.

"Are you…are you alright, Bella? You haven't been acting like yourself lately…" he trailed off, immediately cut off by the fierce look in her eyes.

"I'm fine, well, at least I was until all this shit happened. So…will your latest conquest be making an appearance later tonight or are we going to be spared of that spectacle?" She spat out.

He exhaled in frustration and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "So that's what this is about. Honestly, Bella, I don't see why you care so much…you know…"

He trailed off as Jasper came back over to them, which was lucky timing because Bella had been fully prepared to give him an earful.

"Well," Jasper began tiredly. "I agreed to the fried chicken."

Both Edward and Bella groaned.

"It's better than cheeseburgers!" Jasper reasoned quickly.

Bella threw her hands in the air. "Alright, alright. There's nothing we can do about this, short of ordering pizza, right?"

Jasper and Edward both nodded quickly.

"So here's what we do," Bella continued firmly. "We can't tell them. At least not yet. Just think about this for a second. If we tell Emmett now, he's just going to be worried about Rose's reaction and if we tell Rose now, we all know exactly what she's going to do. So, let's not ruin their wedding ceremony. It's best if that goes smoothly…at least they'll have the memory of the ceremony and they'll be so happy about that that maybe she won't freak out as much as we think she will…"

As she trailed off, she realized how unlikely that actually was as Jasper and Edward looked at each other wearily.

Jasper just shrugged. "Alright. I don't see any other way, really. There's nothing else we can do but hope for the best…"

As if on cue, Alice's head poked out from the dressing room. "What's going on? It's time to start this shit…"

All three just shook their heads as Edward darted into the boys' dressing room to get Emmett while Bella quickly headed back into the girls' dressing room, as Jasper quickly pulled Alice aside to fill her in on the details.

When Bella caught sight of Rosalie, she felt a sharp tug on her heart. Rosalie was pacing around the room, clasping her hands together in nervous frustration, stopping every once in a while to get a look at herself in the mirror.

"Rose," Bella started. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Rosalie's head shot up at the sound of her friend's voice and she was immediately at her side. "What's going on? Is everything straightened out? What happened?"

Bella took a shaky breath before she began speaking again. "Well, as it turns out…there was just a mix-up and it was a different wedding that they were talking about. But your filet mignon and lemon-pepper chicken is on its way. No worries. Now…let's get you married."

Rosalie's face washed over with relief. "Oh, thank God. That's wonderful…I was really starting to think everything was going to be ruined…alright, how do I look?"

Bella smiled warmly at her friend as they gazed into the mirror together. "You look perfect. How about me?"

Rosalie returned her smile and gave Bella a quick peck on the cheek. "Beautiful. Just not as beautiful as me!"

They laughed at the shared joke as Alice came in to announce that everyone was ready to start the ceremony. Bella carefully handed Rosalie her large bouquet of lilies and white roses as Alice held the door open for her. Rosalie's father was waiting for her at the door and smiling through unshed tears, gently took his eldest daughter's hand to led her to the aisle where she would met her future husband.

Bella quickly took her place at the head of the line, with Alice filing in behind her as maid of honor. She shuffled down the aisle, trying very hard not to feel too awkward with the attention on her. She winked playfully at Jacob, who was seated next to his father, Billy, and deliberately refused to make eye contact with both her father, who was seated on the other side of Billy, and Edward, whose concerned expression changed as soon as his eyes fell on Bella into a softer, careful look as he watched her walk up the aisle.

Alice followed right behind her and soon, everyone was on their feet to greet the bride as she marched down the aisle to meet her awaiting groom.

* * *

"Fried chicken!" Rosalie screamed, causing everyone around her to wince. "Fried fucking chicken! What are we? Trailer trash hicks? Oh my God….oh my God…this is the worst thing that could possibly happen…fried chicken? It might as well be fucking cheeseburgers! As soon as I get my hands around that slimy, dirty little piece of shit caterer I am going to…"

"Whoa, babe…slow down…everything's going to be alright…" Emmett offered good-naturedly while the rest of his wedding party cringed as Rosalie's face turned beet red.

"Alright? Alright, Emmett? How is everything going to be alright? Our guests have to fried fucking chicken! And you," she turned on Bella now. "You told me everything was fine. That everything had been taken care of…you fucking lied to me! How could you do that to me…on my wedding day!" She screeched. Thank God they were in the back corned of the reception hall where the rest of the guests couldn't hear her.

Bella held her hands up defensively. "Listen, Rose…we just wanted to…"

Rosalie didn't let her finish. "We? You mean to tell me that you all knew about this before the ceremony?"

Edward nodded, while Jasper and Alice bit their lip guiltily.

Rosalie's nostrils flared and her jabbed a finger in Emmett's chest. "Did _you _know about this, Emmett?"

He furiously shook his head to the side and gripped her shoulders. "Rose…I didn't know. They didn't tell me anything."

Rosalie just shook her head. "I don't care. Someone has to fix this. Someone has to make this right. I want my fucking filet mignon and my fucking lemon-pepper chicken!"

Alice let out a soft giggle and quickly buried her head in the side of Jasper's shoulder to hide from Rosalie's death glare. Bella covered her mouth to hide her own laughter, while Edward pressed his lips together tightly to keep from laughing at Rosalie's outburst. Where were the TV cameras when you needed them? That comment was priceless.

Rosalie glared at them and was preparing to lunge at them when Alice's cheerful voice stopped her.

"Oh come, Rose…you know that was funny. You're just too pissed off right now to realize it. Look, none of us were purposely trying to sabotage your wedding day. Why would we do that? We love you and you know that. Now, those caterers are dipshits who are going to get long letters from each of us about their shitty service but for right now, there's nothing we can do. You don't have to eat the fried chicken if you really don't want to and the booze got here safely, so there's always that."

Rosalie stared at her with her mouth agape. For once, she didn't know what to say. She was still searching for a response when she felt Emmett's strong hands cup the sides of her face.

"Hey," he began gently. "We're married. That's all that matters. This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives and some stupid screw up with the food isn't going to ruin that for us. This is our day. And all I want to do is eat some fried fucking chicken, drink some of that expensive champagne you ordered, and dance with my wife."

She seemed to melt right into his arms at his little speech and she threw her arms around him. "You're right, you're right…you're all right. I'm sorry for flying off the handle but I just wanted this to be perfect…and I guess I didn't have to worry about that because it already is. Let's go, Em…maybe if you're good, I'll feed you that fried fucking chicken myself."

Emmett rubbed his hands together mischievously and enveloped her in a passionate kiss, which only caused their wedding party to groan.

"Hey, come on! We're newlyweds, what did you expect?" He said through his wide smile.

Edward, Bella, Alice, and Jasper left the newlyweds to have a few moments alone and swiftly entered the reception hall's double doors, and glided over to the head table to find their seats. Alice nodded reassuringly to the worried faces of Carlisle and Esme, signaling to them that everything had been worked out. They quickly exchanged a relieved look with Billy and Charlie now that the crisis had been averted.

Emmett and Rosalie entered the hall a few minutes later, glowing with happiness, to the applause of their wedding guests. They took their seats at the head table and Emmett took the microphone from the DJ.

"I just want to thank everything for coming here today. It really means a lot to Rose and me…well, it looks like there's been a slight change of menu tonight but I hope you'll forgive the fried chicken…but that's the best we've got! So enjoy yourselves, drink all my booze and eat all my food because I just got married and I've never been happier in my life!"

The crowd laughed and applauded his little speech and Rosalie gave her new husband a big kiss when he sat back down next to her. A short time later, waiters began walking around the room to distribute the meals to each table, and Rosalie didn't even acknowledge it. She was, thankfully, too wrapped up in feeding pieces of chicken to her new husband to even bat an eyelash.

Soon, the reception was under full swing. Under Edward's watchful eye, per Rosalie's instructions, the DJ played only the songs given to him on the 'wedding of the century' playlist, complied by Emmett. Surprisingly enough, that was the one thing that Rosalie actually allowed Emmett to be in charge of and he took full advantage of her lenience, choosing exactly what he wanted to hear at his wedding and not so much what his bride wanted to hear. So instead of having their first dance to "You're Still the One" like Rosalie had wanted, they danced to "Wonderful Tonight", much to everyone's surprise.

However, Emmett did allow the DJ to play a few 'girlie' songs, as he put it, and the girls didn't hesitate to jump out onto the dance floor when "Single Ladies" by Beyonce started playing. He did, though, throw Rosalie over his shoulders and carry her off the dance floor when she made an attempt to dance to that song with her bridesmaids.

As the next slow song came on, Jacob bounded over to Bella and quickly bowed to her, holding out his hand.

"Milady…may I have this dance?" He asked, biting his lip to hide his wide grin.

Bella laughed heartily and nodded, immediately taking his outstretched hand. "Of course, sir."

He took her carefully in his arms and soon, they were gliding around the dance floor. She felt Jacob's arms tighten around her suddenly and she looked up at his questioningly. He just smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look today, Bells?"

She smirked and shook her head.

"Well," he continued grinning. "In that case, you look absolutely stunning. But don't tell Rosalie I said that otherwise she might come over here and skin me alive."

Bella threw her head back to laugh as they continued to sway to the music.

"I think you're right about that, Jake. And I do have to say though, you clean up pretty good yourself…I think the last time I saw you in a shirt and tie was at my high school graduation."

Jacob chuckled and squeezed her hips a little tighter. "Yeah, well, I guess I haven't had much of a reason to dress up since then."

Bella frowned at that and nodded. "I know…you haven't had a date in a while, Jake."

His brow furrowed from the change in topic. "Come on, Bells…"

"No, no, no…I just don't understand why some girl hasn't snapped you up yet. You're fantastic and any girl would be lucky to have you because I know you would treat her like a princess. You know…now that I think of it, there's this girl that I sit next to in my American Lit class, Angela, and I think you two would get along really well. I could talk to her for you if you wanted…"

He frowned again and bit the inside of his lip in thought. "I don't think so, Bells. I mean, thanks for the offer but I'm not a charity case or anything like that, ok? Maybe I...maybe I just don't want to be set up with anyone right now."

Bella shrugged. "Ok, ok, ok. Sorry I brought it up."

Jacob sighed. "Don't worry about it, Bells. Let's just keep dancing and have a good time tonight."

She nodded and they stopped dancing as the song came to an end.

"Promise you'll save me another dance?" He asked as he released her.

She nodded again and smiled at him before walking off the dance floor. "Sure, Jake."

She turned and headed towards the bathroom, trying to shake the strange feeling she had from her conversation with Jacob. He had been uncharacteristically short with her and she didn't think it was just their talk about him dating. He seemed tense with her, even though they had been cracking jokes and laughing…something had still seemed a little off with him and she couldn't quite figure it out.

She rounded the corner and was almost to the bathroom when she heard the voice she had been dreading all day:

"Bella."

She froze and winced involuntarily at his voice. She had forgotten the pain in his voice and the exhaustion behind it. Part of her wanted to run to him and part of her wanted to run from him. Still, somehow, her body turned around by itself, despite her mind's indecision.

Charlie stood there in front of her, looking stricken, desperate, and sad. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks and that was probably true.

"Bella." He said again, but this time, it came out in a hoarse whisper.

She exhaled loudly and it seemed like hours passed before she finally spoke.

"I don't want to talk to you, Charlie."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know you don't. I wasn't sure whether or not I should come today…but Esme talked me into it."

Bella rolled her eyes. Leave it to Esme to try to fix everyone's problems. "I'm not surprised."

He nodded, watching her carefully as if he was trying to decide whether or not she was going to run from him. "Look Bella, it's not my intention to ruin this day for you. That's not why I came. I just wanted to see you and talk to you, if you'll let me."

Bella sighed in frustration and fixed her eyes on a spot on the floor, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Charlie…I'm sorry but…I don't have anything to say to you."

"I know that, but I just want you to know that you can come home whenever you want. You can call me whenever you need to if you ever need anything. I'm here. I know that you don't want to have anything to do with me and I understand that but I just wanted you to know that."

He took a few steps closer to her, reached out a hand, but when she didn't take it, his hand quickly fell back to his side. Instead, he closed the distance between them and placed a light kiss on her forehead. He smiled sadly as he slowly backed away from her.

"I love you, Bella. I hope you'll remember that someday."

Then he turned on his heel and walked back into the reception hall, brushing right past Edward, whose searching eyes rested on Bella worriedly.

Tears were flowing down her cheeks and she opened her mouth to speak but couldn't form the words. Instead, she turned and fled to the parking lot, not slowing down as Edward chased after her.

"Bella! Wait…come on, Bella!" He yelled after her.

When the cold air finally hit her bare arms, she realized quickly that running outside had been a bad idea. She rubbed her arms hurriedly and shivered. She heard Edward come up behind her and turned around to face him, furiously brushing the tears from her face.

"Edward, just leave me alone."

He pursed his lips tightly and shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone out here, Bella. It's freezing and it's snowing. Why don't you come back inside?"

She shook her head furiously as another tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm not going back in there, Edward. It's not happening so just…do something…but you're not going to get me to back inside."

He sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair before shrugging off his jacket and slipping it carefully over her shoulders. He rubbed her arms and smiled reassuringly to her, even though he could see that his efforts to cheer her up weren't exactly working.

"Better?" He asked.

She nodded in spite of herself and started hopping from one foot to the other to try to keep warm.

He laughed lightly and shook his head. "Come on, Bella. You don't have to go back to the reception right away if you don't want to but can we at least go back into the lobby? I don't know about you but I'm freezing my ass off out here."

She bit back a smile and kept hoping from side to side. Of course, her instable feet failed on her and she slipped mid-jump. Edward reached out and steadied her before she had a chance to land in the snow and he chuckled.

"Geez, I really can't take you anywhere, can I?" He smiled.

That got a laugh and he rubbed her arms again to try to keep her warm.

"So," she started hesitantly. "Why were you coming out of the ballroom?"

"Well, I saw Charlie follow you out into the hallway and I was worried…because I knew you would be upset…"

She nodded slowly. "Oh…"

"You know, I don't blame you for not wanting to go back inside. I can't say I enjoy having to be in the same room as my father for the whole night either. So…what did he say?"

She bit her lip. "Just that he'll always be there for me and that he loves me and that he knows I'll remember that someday."

He blew out a breath and leaned back on his heels. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"So what did you say?"

She shrugged her shoulders and wrapped his jacket more tightly around herself. "Nothing. I couldn't speak. And there are so many things I wanted to say to him, things I've practiced in my head, and I finally had my chance and I just couldn't do it."

He nodded. "That's probably better than what I did the other day."

"Right but at least you stood up for yourself and said what you needed to say."

He nodded again and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, almost jumping with surprise when she leaned into him.

"What would you have said?"

She took a shaky breath before looking up at him. "I think I would have said that…he should've known she was unhappy. I think I would have said that…he should've done something to help her, to make her happy. There had to have been something he could've done, you know? I mean, I was away at college and couldn't be there to help or to say anything but he had to have known something wasn't right. He should've forced her to go to a doctor, to get some help, but he just ignored it, wouldn't let himself believe that something was wrong with her…"

As she trailed off, he quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as she started to speak again.

"I always knew she was a little…off…she was becoming more distant whenever we talked and sometimes, she would ask me questions she had just asked a few minutes before…she would forget things…leave the oven on…but how was I supposed to know that she would ever hurt herself? How could he ever expect me to want to come home after that and see where she…how can he still live there? I just don't understand how it happened, how he couldn't have known something was wrong, that she would do that…he was there, he should've known…"

She was sobbing into his chest now and he held her tightly to him, holding her closer to him every time she shook. When she finally looked back up at him, he carefully wiped away the tears that had streaked her face.

"Please don't cry, Bella." He whispered.

"I'm sorry…"

"You don't have anything to be sorry about."

She nodded quickly. "I know…it's just so weird…talking about it…I haven't really talked about it with anyone…"

"I know," he whispered into her hair. "We were all pretty worried about that, actually."

She laughed and leaned back into his chest. "Do you think that…it's possible that he blames himself just as much as I do…that he thinks he should have done something too, that he feels guilty…?"

He nodded and gripped her a little tighter. "Yeah, I think he does, Bella."

"I know, I just…it just hurts too much to even think about talking to him…because he reminds me of her and I don't want to think about her…and I feel horrible about that."

"I know, Bella, and I think he understands that because he's not pushing you to do anything you don't want to do. And I think…I think he's hurting just as much as you and is just waiting until you're ready."

She smiled sadly and looked up at him. "You know…I could probably say the same thing to you too."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're right."

She laughed and shivered a little. "You know, I think we should probably get back inside. I'm starting to freeze my ass off now too and everyone's probably wondering where we went."

He nodded. "You're right…are you going to be alright, Bella?"

She smiled bravely and handed him back his jacket. "Yeah. Don't worry about me."

They started walking back into the reception hall, a safe distance between them. As he held the door open for her, she turned back to him with shining eyes.

"Thanks, Edward. You know, sometimes you can be a really nice guy when you're not busy being a complete asshole."

He threw his head back and laughed good-naturedly. He shook his head and gestured for her to enter, following closely behind her as they made their way back to the reception, their problems now out of sight, out of mind.

A/N--Awww, finally a nice moment between them without any angsty crap! I hope you enjoyed it because that's the last you're going to see of that for a little while...I couldn't really make it that easy on them, otherwise, what would be the point??

Anyways, so I have a question for all of you: I have layout for all the upcoming chapters, so I have a Christmas and a New Year's chapter planned out but there's no way those chapters are going to be ready near the actual days because of the layout of chapters. So, my question is, do you guys really care all that much if the Christmas and New Year's chapters don't fall around Christmas and New Years? Should I just take out the holiday aspect of it altogether (because I could do that pretty easily) and still stick to my original plan? Or should I move some things around so the holiday chapters fall around the time that they're supposed to? I'll leave it up to you guys because I don't really care either way...so just let me know! Thanks!


	7. Time Stand Still

A/N--Well, so the general consensus was to keep the holiday chapters but let them fall where I had orginally planned them. So, I'm keeping with my plan and the Christmas and New Year's chapters will show up when they show up. Thanks for all your input about that! Anyways, I wanted to get this chapter out while it was still in my head. It's an important chapter for the rest of the plot development so...pay attention! Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you like your present!!

BLEEDING LOVE

_I turn my back to the wind  
To catch my breath  
Before I start off again.  
Driven on without a moment to spend  
To pass an evening with a drink and a friend.  
I turn my face to the sun  
Close my eyes  
Let my defenses down  
All those wounds that I can't get unwound  
I let my past go too fast  
No time to pause  
If I could slow it all down  
Like some captain, whose ship runs aground  
I can wait until the tide comes around _

_Time stand still  
Freeze this moment a little bit longer  
Make each sensation a little bit stronger  
Experience slips away  
Experience slips away  
Time stand still_"Time Stand Still" by Rush

Chapter Seven

The popcorn was made. The heat was on. The movie was already in the DVD player. The blankets were nice, warm, and waiting on the couch. The ice cold beer was already sitting out on the coffee table. All they needed to do was settle in and hit play. They would have started their night a little bit earlier but they had had a hard time deciding which movie to watch. Bella had pushed for the chick flick but Jacob, on the other hand, wasn't really feeling like a sappy, tear-inducing movie like "P.S. I Love You" or something god-awful like that. Bella had stomped her foot at that because she wanted her Gerard Butler fix but Jacob stood his ground and they compromised with a "Pirates" movie, because it had eye candy for Bella and action (and eye candy, too) for Jacob.

For once, Jacob actually had a Friday night off and Bella, who was feeling the need to have a night off from the club as well, had talked Jacob into a movie and Christmas decorating night. Since Christmas was only a few days away, they had spent the afternoon wading through brown, slowly dying Christmas trees until they had found 'the perfect one', as Bella had called it. Somehow, they had managed to find the only tree on the lot that wasn't completely hopeless. They had struggled to get the tree up the stairs of their building and when they had finally gotten inside their apartment, Bella could barely contain her excitement to decorate the tree.

"Come on, Jake! Put it over here…no…the other side of the TV, next to the window…yeah, right there." She had exclaimed exuberantly, practically hopping from foot to foot she was so excited. Jacob had just laughed and abided by her wishes.

But, he couldn't hide his groan when "All I Want for Christmas Is You" came blasting from Bella's iPod.

"Oh no…Bells! Really? Do you have to?" He grimaced as she turned the volume up a little louder just to piss him off, an evil glint in her eye.

Instead of responding, Bella just started the long process of stringing the lights around the tree, only managing to knock over the entire thing once.

Now that tree was finally up and on par with Bella's standards, it was movie time. Jacob grabbed the popcorn out of the microwave and made his way back over to the couch. He playfully tossed some warm popcorn at her as he sat down. She rested her legs across his lap and reached for the blanket above her head. She shivered for a brief second before throwing the blanket around her legs and she rubbed her hands together.

Jacob chuckled at her movements. "Geez, Bells, the heat's on…what else do you want me to do?"

She smirked and continued to rub her hands together. "I know, I know…sometimes this place feels a little like a dungeon or something…it's so big and cold…it's a good thing Carlisle doesn't charge us for heat otherwise we'd be up the ass in bills for this place."

Jacob laughed heartily and hit play on the remote. "Yeah, we definitely have a pretty good setup here, not including our little problem in the winter."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Jake. Hand over the popcorn now, the movie's starting and I wanna see Johnny."

His eyes lifted to the ceiling as he handed her the popcorn bowl. The movie began and he let out an exasperated sigh when Bella let loose a high-pitched shriek when Jack Sparrow came onto the screen.

"Oooo…he is so hot. You know, normally I wouldn't think men wearing eyeliner was hot but on him…it is soo hot. I love it!"

He threw a pillow at her to muffle her verbal drooling and she let out a sharp yelp of surprise.

"Hey! What was that about, Jake?"

He rolled his eyes and gestured toward the TV. "The movie's on Bells. I thought we agreed there would be no talking through this cinematic masterpiece. Come on…please drool in silence."

She bit back a laugh and just nodded, immediately turning her attention back to the movie.

"So," she whispered lowly. "When do you think he'll be back?"

His brow furrowed at her question. "Well, whenever the club closes. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged her shoulders and went back to watching the movie. Edward was at the club, as usual for a Friday night, and she was dreading his return, hoping that just once, he wouldn't bring home some random, stupid girl, as usual. He hadn't said much to either of them when he had left for the night, which wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary from him. Ever since Rosalie and Emmett's wedding, it seemed like he had been making a conscious effort to be nicer and less of an asshole, but she had a sinking feeling that this new change in him had more to do with her dead mother than it did her.

"Hey Bells?"

That jolted her out of her revelry and she turned her head to face him. "Yeah Jake?"

"What were you thinking about, just now?"

Her brow furrowed. "Nothing much, why?"

"I don't know…you just kind of seemed like you were off in your own little world. Were you thinking about…well, her?"

Bella huffed angrily and sat up abruptly. "Why does everything have to do with her?"

He frowned and his eyes shone down on her with a mixture of pain and regret. "Well, Christmas is only a few days away and it'll be your first Christmas without her…"

"I know that, Jake!" She yelled furiously. "I fucking know that! But that doesn't mean I want to talk about it!"

He held his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry, Bells. I just thought that's why you looked so sad all of a sudden and I knew you wouldn't bring it up on your own so…look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Come on, would you just lie back down? We were having a good time before I fucked it up."

She nodded and slid down a little on the couch. "I know, Jake. I know you didn't mean anything by it, it's just that…if I wanted to talk about it, I would. It doesn't have anything to do with you…"

"You know," he said quietly. "She was like a mother to me, too."

She inhaled sharply and in a split second, she was off the couch and walking into the kitchen. She pulled open the refrigerator door and started scrounging through it, cursing under her breath. She didn't look up when she saw Jacob slowly near her out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't want to hear it, Jake." She muttered roughly.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Truce, ok? Let's just go back to finishing the movie, I'll even let you pick the next one…you want to watch a sappy chick flick, that's fine. I just…I don't want to fight with you and I don't want to hurt your feelings either. Can we please just forget I ever said anything?"

She sighed and bit her lip in thought. She slowly lifted her head from inside the refrigerator and met his eyes.

"Fine. Let's put in a different movie, I was getting tired of "Pirates" anyway."

She started walking back to the living room, with Jacob close on her heels, and perused through their vast collection of movies. So many to choose from but which would be the best to distract her from the things she had no desire to think about? Hmmm….

"How about 'Love Actually'?" She finally announced.

"'Love Actually' it is then." He agreed.

They sat back down on the couch and Bella tried to shake that strange feeling again. Sometimes, she got the oddest vibes from Jacob and she just couldn't place it. To make matters worse, she had no idea what had possessed him to talk about the one subject he knew was off limits. Truth be told, she knew every single one of her friends were worried about her but that didn't mean she had to talk about it just to appease them. In fact, the only time she had ever really discussed it at length with anyone had been Edward at Emmett and Rosalie's wedding, which had to have surprised him just as much as it had her. Still, it was off limits and everyone knew that.

But instead of bringing the night even lower than it already was, she decided to make an attempt to lighten the mood. After all, Jacob had been right. They had been having a great time until 'she who shall not be named' was brought up.

"You know," Bella began easily. "I've always thought the little boy's story was the best part of this whole movie."

Jacob nodded carefully, surprise reigning in his eyes at the sound of her voice.

"It's so sweet," she continued, the unsteadiness now shaken from her voice. "He just does everything he can think of to win over the girl of his dreams. It doesn't matter that he's eleven or twelve, I don't know how old he's supposed to be in this, but it doesn't matter that he's just a little kid. He's convinced he's in love and that's enough. He's willing to do whatever it takes…"

Jacob nodded again, his eyes staying focused on the screen. "I know what you mean. It would be nice if everything worked out that way in real life."

"Yeah, I heard that. I mean, look what the kid does for her. He is completely and totally obsessed with her getting her to notice him that he stops caring about anything else. He learns to play the drums for her…he really pulls out all the stops, you know? Man, I wish I had the guts to do something like that."

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged and kept watching the movie as she spoke. "Just to say, to hell with it, and consequences be damned and actually take a chance on something. To have the guts to put myself out there like that…I just don't think I have it in me to do something that would make me that…vulnerable."

Jacob nodded in quiet understanding. "I know what you mean. But it's a movie, right? People don't really do things like that in real life, though."

"No, but they should. Don't you think the world would be a more interesting place if they did? If every guy would go to those lengths for every unattainable girl…to put himself out there like that even though there's a good chance he could be completely shot down. I think I would pounce on the guy that did that for me, not like that'll ever happen though."

His brow furrowed again and he frowned. "What makes you say that? You have to know that you're worth…something like that."

"That's not it…I just think that…that kind of thing doesn't really exist in the real world. Guys don't really do that, at least from what I know of guys. Girls don't either. I think it has more to do with being afraid than anything else. The fear of rejection. The fear of making a fool of yourself. The fear of having a real, full life. You name it. It's there. I just wish it wasn't. Maybe my life would be more interesting, you know what I mean? A little passion, a little effort never hurt anyone. But it actually takes some balls, though, and so far, I haven't met anyone that actually possesses the balls to do it."

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "Wow…you really are something, you know that?"

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, a girl's entitled to her own opinion."

He just laughed again. "Well, maybe you'll get lucky someday…"

"You know there are just so many ways to take that…"

He tossed a pillow at her and they went back to watching the movie, her slight rant now over. A few hours later, Bella awoke on Jacob's shoulder, the TV still on and the Christmas tree lights illuminating the entire room. She gently shook his shoulders and he woke with a start.

"Come on, Jake. It's almost 3 in the morning. I'm going to bed."

He nodded sleepily and rubbed his eyes tiredly as he stumbled up from the off the couch. She laughed quietly at him but immediately froze when she saw Edward's shoes and jacket sitting near the doorway. She hadn't heard him come home and she found herself sighing with relief because, on further inspection, it looked like he had actually come home alone for once.

She quickly hugged Jacob. "Night, Jake. And thanks for hanging out with me tonight."

"No prob." He mumbled hazily as he stumbled into his room.

She smiled softly as she walked into her room and settled into her nice warm bed for the night.

* * *

Several hours later, however, she tossed the covers off of her. She had been tossing and turning since she had turned her lights out. Ironically, it was too hot in her room now and she just couldn't get comfortable. Besides, she just hadn't felt completely right since her and Jacob had set up their Christmas tree. Sighing, she jumped off her bed and padded lightly over to her closet. She started rummaging through the boxes that cluttered her closet until she finally found the one she was looking for. It was the one that held all her precious memories and the one she had subsequently placed at the furthest regions of her closet. Without hesitation, she tossed the cover off the box because she feared she would lose the nerve if she waited a moment longer. With a tightly clenched jaw, she picked through the little mementos until she found the smaller box she was looking for.

With a deep breath, she got up and left her room.

Much to her surprise though, she wasn't the only one who had been having sleeping problems. As she crept out of her room, she heard the faint whisper of guitar strings. The closer she got, the clearer the notes became and she knew instinctively that it was something he had written, even though she had never heard it before.

"Hey." She called softly as she walked into the living room, where Edward was strewn out on the couch, guitar in hand.

He looked up swiftly at the sound of her voice and smiled gently. "Hey yourself."

"What are you doing up?"

He shrugged and quickly put his guitar on the floor. "Couldn't sleep I guess."

"Was that a new song?"

He ran a hand through his hair and it took him a moment to answer. "Uh…yeah, it was."

"Oh…well, can I hear it?"

He shook his head immediately. "It's not finished yet. But…when I'm done, I'll let you know."

She just shrugged and headed for the tree.

"What's that?"

She froze and gripped the box in her hand tighter. "What?"

He frowned and motioned with his head towards the box. "That box you've got there."

She swallowed nervously and bit her lip. "It's…uh…well, just come over here."

He frowned again but swung his legs over the side of the couch to stand up. Within seconds, he was at her side by the Christmas tree. She reached around the tree to plug in the lights and lit up the room with the white glow.

"You guys did a great job." Edward said cautiously, obviously not wanting to bring up the contents of the box until she was ready.

She nodded quietly and kneeled down to the ground. Edward followed suit and rested his hands on his knees, waiting patiently for her speak.

She slowly took the cover off the box and held it up for Edward to inspect. He reached out and gingerly picked up a glittering ornament. It was a pair of rhinestone ballet slippers which were engraved with "Isabella: 1998". He bit his lip as he held it gently in his hand. He looked up at her expectantly, already seeming to know what she was going to say before she even began to speak.

"Every year, my mom gave me an ornament. She said she wanted me to have a new Christmas memory each year and that the ornament represented that. So these are all the ornaments she has ever given me, all twenty-one of them."

He nodded slowly and wordlessly held out his hand. She took the ornament from him and carefully hung it on the tree above her.

"I didn't think I would be able to do it," she continued softly. "I thought it would be too painful to put all these ornaments up this year but then today, when Jake and I were putting up the tree, it just felt wrong _not_ to do it."

He nodded again and watched her closely, his face etched with understanding and concern. "Do you want some help?"

She smiled. "I'd love that, actually."

He grinned widely as she set the box down in between them. Several minutes of silence passed then, with both of them just mutely taking an ornament out of the box and placing it carefully on the tree. When they were finished, Bella took a step back to survey their work.

"There," she whispered. "Now it's done."

"It's looks great." Edward agreed.

She turned to him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Do you think we'll ever be able to get over it?"

He inhaled slowly and exhaled just as slowly before finally answering her. "I don't know, Bella."

"I mean," she continued. "It has to get easier, right? The pain has to go away sometime, doesn't it?"

A knot formed in his stomach as he looked at her and he reached up to brush away the stray tear that had slipped down his cheek.

"I hope so," he murmured. "I really hope so."

She sighed and looked back up at the tree, the lights reflecting onto her face.

"Sometimes, I think I hate her as much as I hate him. But then, I start to hate myself because I feel guilty for being angry with her. She wasn't well…and I can't find a reason to fault her for that. And then, I think to myself, 'if you can't hate Mom for something she couldn't help, then you can't hate Dad either', but that doesn't make anything better. It just makes it worse. So I have to hate him, Edward, I have to because being angry with someone makes it hurt a little less and I can't hate her."

He nodded. "I know what you mean."

She nodded in return and shot him a quick smile, deciding a change of subject was in order. "So, I see you came home alone tonight. That must be a first for you in…God, I don't even know."

He rolled his eyes. "What difference does it make?"

She shrugged and started fixing one of the ornaments that had gotten twisted. "It doesn't. I was just making an observation."

There was silence as he carefully watched her continue to fix the ornaments. Finally, she couldn't take the silence and decided to go fishing.

"You know, it's probably none of my business but…you should probably think twice before you have sex in a public bathroom…you never know who could be in there with you or how clean it is for that matter."

He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus Christ, you never quit, do you? Just when I thought we were finally starting to get along again…"

She turned sharply to face him. "Hey, I'm not the one who couldn't wait until he got home."

"Well, for your information, it's none of your business."

She scoffed and raised her eyebrows. "I was subjected to hearing it. I'd say it's my business to at least give you the lecture about responsible sex."

"Responsible sex?"

"Yeah, you know that kind that doesn't involve sex with a skanky whore who could have multiple communicable diseases in a dirty public bathroom in a club."

He shook his head. "Wow…when did you become so bitter?"

"When did you become such a man-whore?" She bit back.

There was more silence now as they stared each other down. Finally, Bella sighed and looked away.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to snap at you like that…not that you didn't deserve it."

His eyes rose to the ceiling and he sighed deeply. "You're right. I am a man-whore."

She bit back a laugh and shook her head, a few giggles escaping her.

"It's fine, you can laugh, Bella."

Her shoulders started shaking her laughter and she covered her mouth to muffle some of the sound so she didn't wake Jacob.

When her laughter was finally under control, she asked: "Seriously though, why do you do it? I mean, you could date any girl in this city if you wanted to but why would you rather just bring them back here for a night instead of having a real relationship with someone?"

He shrugged and looked back up at the ceiling as he spoke. "I honestly don't know."

"God, what a pair of pathetic jerks we make…"

His eyebrows rose as she continued. "I mean, you wouldn't know a how to be in a committed relationship if it kicked you in the balls, and then there's me, who's last date in almost a year slipped her a rufie…we're both absolutely pathetic."

His mouth dropped open slightly and then he doubled over with laughter.

"Seriously," she continued. "What's wrong with us? Why can't we be normal and be in normal relationships with people?"

He shrugged. "Well, we could always blame it on our parents. That seems like a good enough excuse. It's definitely believable."

She nodded quickly. "Absolutely. You know, I've never even been able to say 'I love you' to someone, especially not since…well, you know? I think some part of me just got stunted emotionally and I just fly off the handle at every little thing. Just earlier today, I completely went off at Jake when he tried to bring up my mom…I know he had the best of intentions and was just trying to help me but that didn't stop me from biting his head off about it. Why do I do that? Is it just some weird defense mechanism or something?"

He nodded in understanding. "I know exactly what you mean."

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, half the time, I don't have any interest in any of the girls I end up bringing home. I guess it's just become a habit that I don't know how to stop. I'm almost afraid of what will happen if I do."

"You came home alone tonight."

"Yeah…weird, right?"

She laughed. "You know, I'm still pretty upset with you about the whole fucking Jessica in a bathroom thing. It wasn't something I wanted to hear."

He nodded and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Well, I'm sorry about that."

"You should be."

"I'm surprised you're not screaming at me about it."

"Well, I figure I already gave you the cold shoulder about it. I did confront you about it already, in a backwards way, but anyways, I figure I should be the bigger person and just drop it, for now at least."

He smirked. "For now?"

"Sure."

He just laughed and rolled his eyes at her. "Women. I don't think I'll ever completely understand. You know…I seem to remember you promising me a big favor a few years ago."

She groaned a little too loudly and ran a hand over her face. "Please, let's not bring that up."

"No, no, no…did you think I would forget? I distinctly remember you promising me that you owed me a big favor whenever I wanted it…so now I'm using it. You are to forget the whole bathroom thing and never mention it to me again."

She shook her head and begrudgingly stuck out her hand. He smirked slyly as he took her hand and shook it firmly.

"There," he said. "I bet you thought I forgot all about that one…"

"That's not what I meant. Let's just say that my prom date ditching me less than an hour before the dance was not one of my proudest moments. Let alone the fact that you were forced to step in and save the day."

He shrugged good-naturedly. "I wasn't forced. No one was twisting my arm."

"Yeah, but I'm sure you had better things to do that night than stand-in for my dipshit of an absentee date. Besides, _I_ distinctly remember you swearing off the dance and turning down at least five girls. You obviously didn't want to go."

"So? I didn't mind stepping in. You know I don't like it when you're upset and you were practically bawling your eyes out. I remember Alice was practically crying too, because you were screwing up her make-up job."

Bella rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. "She was upset for _me_, you jerk. Anyways, I can't remember if I ever said it, but I really appreciated what you did for me that night. It could have easily been one of the worst nights of my life but it wasn't, thanks to you."

He smiled gently and nodded. "Well, you're welcome, then."

She smiled back and yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

"You tired?" He asked.

She nodded and he motioned with his head towards her bedroom before taking her by the shoulders and pushing her lightly towards her room.

"Get to bed. It's almost past 4 now."

She rolled her eyes as she started walking to her room. "Aren't you going to bed, too?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. I'll see you in the morning…night."

She nodded and waved as she walked into her room. She settled back into her bed and pulled the covers back up around her. As she drifted to sleep, the sound of the guitar strings strumming and Edward's soft voice singing words she couldn't make out echoed throughout her room. She fell asleep with a smile on her face that night for the first time in months.

A/N--R/R please!! I want a Christmas present too!!

* * *

As a side note, I'm looking for a beta-reader if anyone's interested. I already tried finding one through all the beta readers on this site, but I haven't gotten a response from anyone. Basically, I'm just looking for someone that I can bounce ideas off of about the plot. I have a general outline but now I'm starting to rethink my original plan, especially with some of the reviews I've gotten and it would be nice to have someone to chat with about it. So if you're interested, let me know if your review or send me a PM. Thanks!!


	8. All I Want for Christmas

**Well, first of all, thanks to everyone who offered to help me out! You guys are awesome!! And a special thanks to brighteyes87, who has graciously offered to help me wrestle with where to take the end of this story!! Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and put this story on your favorites and alerts...it really means a lot to me and I love reading what you guys have to say about this! Alright, I know it's a couple days off but here's the Christmas chapter...**

BLEEDING LOVE

_I won't ask for much this Christmas  
I won't even wish for snow  
I'm just gonna keep on waiting  
Underneath the mistletoe  
I won't make a list and send it  
To the North Pole for Saint Nick  
I won't even stay awake to  
Hear those magic reindeer click  
'Cause I just want you here tonight  
Holding on to me so tight  
What more can I do  
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you_

"All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey

Chapter Eight

"Come on, Edward! Get your ass in here…it's freaking cold outside!" Emmett bellowed from the doorway.

"Shut up…if you would actually come out here and help me unload the car I would be able to get inside a little bit faster, dumbass!" Edward yelled back.

He slammed the trunk shut and added a few packages to the top of Bella's already teetering pile in her arms.

"Merry fucking Christmas…" she muttered under her breath as she slowly made her way up the Cullens' walkway, nearly slipping on the icy steps before finally getting inside the warm house.

Edward smacked Emmett on the back of the head with his free hand when he entered the house. "Thanks for all the help, Emmett."

"Hey, it's warm in here and it's cold out there. What did you expect? Anyways, it's Christmas, man, stop being such Grinch." He threw his hands in the air, as if he expected Edward to suddenly agree with him.

But Edward, on the other hand, was in no mood for Christmas cheer, especially since Christmas meant spending an entire evening at his parents' house. He had been tense the entire drive over, clenching the steering wheel with a death grip, and had hardly said a word to Bella during the drive. She knew not to hold it against him because if their roles were reversed and she had to spend a whole evening at Charlie's house, she would be just as tense as him. But, she had lucked out because, although Carlisle and Esme had invited Charlie, he had had to work. So she decided to let Edward's moodiness slide for tonight.

Esme came out from around the corner of the kitchen with a happy smile on her face. "Edward! Bella! I'm glad you made it here in one piece…the weather is so awful…but at least we have a white Christmas, right?"

"Yeah…hopefully the snow doesn't get much worse." Bella responded good-naturedly.

"Then we won't have to stay the night." Edward added in darkly.

Esme's face immediately fell at Edward's remark. She looked behind her quickly and leaned in towards him, lowering her voice as she spoke. "Edward, it's Christmas. Can you please _try_ tonight…for me. I just want everyone to get along, even if it's just for one night. Can you do that for me, Edward?"

He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair before casting a weary glance toward Bella before nodding slowly. Esme smiled warmly and enveloped her son in a tender embrace.

"Thank you." She whispered into his ear before releasing him.

He sighed again and just nodded before stepping around her to put the pies Bella made on the kitchen counter.

Esme sighed as Edward walked away but swiftly turned to Bella, the smile returning to her face as she took her in.

"It's so good to see you, Bella. Here, let me help you with all those presents!" She laughed.

"Oh…thanks…especially since _someone_ decided to just bring in the pies and leave everything else to me." Bella responded with slight irritation.

Esme just laughed again and took several of the packages from the top of Bella's pile as she led her into the living room to put the presents under the tree. As they walked through the hallway, Esme turned to her with a desperate look in her eye.

"Bella, can you do me a favor and keep an eye on Edward? I know you two haven't been getting along very well lately but I'm just worried about this night turning into a complete nightmare, if you know what I mean…"

Bella nodded immediately but then frowned as she began to understand the full impact of Esme's words. "Sure, Esme but how did you know Edward and I haven't been getting along?"

Esme shrugged and patted her gently on the shoulder. "I think sometimes you forget I have Alice for a daughter."

Bella rolled her eyes and bit her lip to hide her laughter. "Oh yeah…I guess you're right about that."

Esme laughed cheerfully as she set the presents down by their tree. "And I wouldn't worry too much about Edward…he's got some issues he needs to sort through and as we both know, he has a tendency to take it out on the people he cares about the most."

Bella could only nod in response, not wanting to say anything for fear of continuing this conversation with Esme. She wasn't entirely sure what she had meant but she was positive she didn't want to find out.

She didn't have time to stall the conversation because she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist and lift her high in the air. Grinning widely, she smirked as she turned her head, having already known that the only person who would ever do that was Emmett, and flashed him a big smile.

"Hello, Emmett. Merry Christmas. Now will you please put me down?" She said jokingly.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Bells." He replied cheerily as he set her back down gently.

"Where's your wife?" Bella asked, looking around his burly body for her friend.

"Oh, she's just upstairs on the phone with Alice. I guess her and Jasper are running a little late because of the weather."

"Well, it's probably best that they take their time then." Carlisle replied from the hallway. "Hello, Bella, Merry Christmas."

She smiled widely and quickly closed the distance between them to give him a hug. "Merry Christmas, Carlisle. It's good to see you on better circumstances."

He laughed and shook his head. "I couldn't agree more, Bella. Would you like something to drink?"

She smiled and nodded as she followed him back into the kitchen, where Esme and Edward were talking in hushed whispers. Edward's head immediately shot up when he heard Bella and Carlisle enter the room, his expression turning sour at the sight of his father.

Esme's eyes darted back and forth between Edward and Carlisle, obviously expecting some kind of confrontation. Carlisle met his son's eyes and nodded to him.

"Hello, Edward. Merry Christmas."

There was a long awkward silence in the air as Edward stared at his father with a hard expression. Finally, he surrendered and sighed.

"Hey, dad. Merry Christmas to you, too."

Bella and Esme collectively let out the breath they had been holding. Esme excused herself, muttering something about hearing Emmett almost knock the tree over, leaving Edward and Carlisle staring at each other, with Bella as the buffer between them.

Again, there was a long silence before anyone said anything. Carlisle poured Bella a glass of wine and swiftly handed it to her, his eyes hardly ever leaving Edward's. Bella instinctively knew that both men were waiting for the other to make a move, albeit a wrong move, before either would speak. She sensed that they had reached a stalemate and decided to intervene before things got much worse.

"So…does anyone know when Jake and Billy are going to get here?"

Carlisle finally broke his gaze with Edward and turned to Bella. "They called about ten minutes before you arrived. They should be here any moment now."

Bella nodded slowly and bit her lip while her gazed bounced from Edward to Carlisle. She took a long sip of her wine and looked at both men again, who hadn't budged from their standstill. This was getting to be too much. Here were two grown men (for the most part) who couldn't even stand to be in the same room with one another for the sake of the kindest woman in the world. What a pair of idiots.

Bella was just about to voice this opinion when the front door opened to reveal a snow-covered Jacob pulling an equally snow-covered Billy in his wheelchair up the steps of the house. Emmett stepped in to help Jacob bring Billy in the house as Rosalie finally descended down the stairs, cell phone in hand.

"Hey there, everybody! Merry Christmas!" Billy exclaimed cheerfully.

Everyone responded with "Merry Christmas" and Esme quickly rushed in to take Jacob and Billy's coats as Carlisle finally resigned himself from the kitchen and took the handles of Billy's wheelchair, steering him into the living room. Within minutes, Jasper and Alice arrived, adding to the new commotion spreading throughout the house as greetings and Christmas tidings were shared between everyone.

When the greetings had finally ceased, Billy rubbed his hands together expectantly. "Alright, when do we eat?"

Esme laughed merrily and bent down to kiss his cheek. "Everything's ready."

She stood back up to address everyone. "Alright guys, time to eat. The table is already set and ready to go."

She gestured for everyone to follow her into the kitchen. Jacob took a seat next to Bella with Alice on the other side of her, Edward ended up sitting directly across from Jacob and at the elbow of Carlisle with Jasper across from him next to Alice, Esme sat at the other side of Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie were further down the other side of the table, with Billy at the other end of the table in his wheelchair. When everyone was seated, she started setting the hot plates of food on the table.

"Hmmm…this looks absolutely delicious, Mom." Emmett said, leaning closer and closer to the plates as Esme continued to set them down on the table. He reached forward but Esme quickly swatted his hand away.

"Emmett! You can wait!" She chided.

He frowned and Rosalie elbowed him in the side. "Come on, Emmett…does everything really revolved around food for you?"

He smiled slyly. "Well, oh dear wifey of mine, surely you should know better than anyone that my life revolves around something else too…"

Loud groans erupted from the rest of the table.

"Wait?" Emmett shrugged. "Was it something I said?"

Everyone just ignored him and started digging into the food as Esme signaled that it was finally time. The meal continued in amiable silence with everyone enjoying their food. It took several minutes for conversations to get themselves started; Esme and Alice began chatting with Rosalie about her and Emmett's honeymoon while Billy and Emmett discussed the intricacies of ice fishing. Edward and Bella, however, remained silent.

Carlisle turned to Jacob and started up a conversation.

"So, Jacob, how did your semester end up? Did you have any difficult finals?"

"Well, Anatomy didn't go as well as I wanted it to…"

Bella snorted next to him and he shot her an annoyed look as he continued.

"But for the most part, everything else went fine. Actually, I wanted to make a little announcement since everyone's together tonight. I guess now is as good a time as any."

Now he had the attention of the entire table.

"Well, I got my acceptance letter yesterday from UW's School of Medicine. I don't think I could ask for a better Christmas present."

There was a loud cheer from the table as Billy pounded his fist on the table in celebration and shouts of congratulations came from around the table, as Emmett stood up from his chair to give Emmett a high-five and Jasper slapped him on the back.

"Jake, that's great!" Bella exclaimed before casting a quick glance to Edward across from her. He was forcing a smile on his face as he said a quiet 'congratulations' to Jacob, seeming to be deliberately averting his eyes from her knowing gaze.

"Wow…this is fantastic news!" Carlisle exclaimed happily from his chair.

Jacob beamed widely from where he sat and put an arm around Bella's shoulders. "I know, I could barely keep it to myself but I wanted to tell everyone all at the same time so…"

"I'm so proud of you, son!" Billy called from the other side of the table.

"Thanks, Dad!" Jacob yelled back to him.

"This is turning out to be a great night!" Carlisle yelled across the table to Billy. Billy grinned widely in response and pounded his fist on the table again.

Bella looked nervously to Edward, whose jaw was tightly clenched and his eyes were clouded over with a dangerous mixture of jealousy and annoyance. His eyes met hers briefly but they abruptly flew to a spot on the wall above her head before she could get a better read on him.

When the commotion finally died, the meal continued on without any further drama and the conversations reverted back to their previous topics. As everyone began clearing their plates and helping clear the rest of the dishes off the table, Bella made a beeline for Jacob and cornered him in the other side of the kitchen.

"What's up, Bells?" Jacob frowned.

Bella sighed and bit her lip. "Well, I'm really proud of you about medical school, Jake. Really I am. It's just that…"

His frown deepened and he crossed his arms over his chest. "What?"

"Well," she began softly. "Did you really have to bring it up at Christmas? In front of everyone?"

With confusion etched across his face, Jacob chewed on the inside of his lip. "I told you already, Bells, I wanted to tell everyone all at the same time. What's wrong with that?"

"Well…what about Edward? I mean, did you see his face?"

Jacob exhaled loudly in annoyance and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "Oh come on, Bella. The world does not revolve around Edward. I had good news and I have every right to tell the people important to me that news when I want to. I thought you were happy for me."

"Of course I'm happy for you, Jake." She responded hastily. "You know that…I'm really proud of you and we all know how hard you've worked for this…"

"So what…I'm just supposed to not tell everyone the best news of my life just so I don't hurt _his_ feelings?" He bit out.

"No, of course not. I'm just saying it was bad timing."

"I think my timing was perfectly fine, Bella." He spat venomously.

Now Bella narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Are you telling me that you did this on purpose? Just to make him mad?"

Jacob scoffed and narrowed his eyes back at Bella. "Like I said, not everything revolves around him."

She was about to respond when she heard a throat clear in front to the side of them. They turned to see Alice smiling mischievously up at them.

"Oh Beeellllaaa…look up!" She pointed up at something above Bella and Jacob's head.

Bella looked up to see what Alice was pointing to and grimaced to see that she and Jacob were standing directly below the mistletoe. In the hustle and bustle of everyone arriving at the same time, the tension between Edward and Carlisle, and her concern over Jacob's news, she had completely missed that Esme had put mistletoe in the very corner in which she now stood.

"Well, Bella, Jacob…" Alice chirped merrily. "It's Christmas and I do believe you both are standing beneath the mistletoe so…"

Bella closed her eyes briefly and cast a weary glance towards Jacob, who was grinning brightly.

"Oh come on, Bells, it _is_ Christmas." He elbowed her playfully, acting like their previous argument had never happened.

She sighed and started to speak but was immediately halted when she felt Jacob's lips on hers. She froze where she stood, unable to move at the contact and suddenly felt like she wasn't in her body. Jacob's lips were warm, attempting to move and prolong the kiss, and there was an evident sweetness to his kiss but it was just so _awkward_. There was a collective "aw" from the rest of the room and she felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment, which snapped her back to reality. She quickly pulled her lips away from his and frowned at the smile on his face. What on earth could he possibly be smiling about? The whole thing had just been plain mortifying, not to mention the fact that she had never, even for one second, thought about kissing Jacob.

She swiftly walked around the other side of the table, effectively moving away from the evil mistletoe while Alice pulled Jasper over to where Bella and Jacob had just been standing. As Bella walked back to the counter to retrieve her wine glass, her eyes briefly met Edward's. He only allowed himself to look at her for a moment, but she saw nothing but steel and ice reflected in his gaze. She quickly downed the rest of her wine and didn't hesitate to fill her glass back up to the top.

Everyone started congregating to the living room, as anticipation for all the presents awaiting under the tree began to spread. Esme happily snapped pictures of all her 'kids', and Bella couldn't help but feel a sharp tug. Esme had always been like a second mother to her and she treasured the fact that the feeling was mutual between them, especially now that her real mother was dead. But the fact that this was her first Christmas without the presence of her mother, or even Charlie for that matter, was a blow she wasn't quite ready to face. Unfortunately, Christmas was here whether she liked it or not and she would just have to make the best of it. Besides, she could tell that Esme had taken great pains to make this Christmas special for everyone, considering this was Rosalie and Emmett's first Christmas as a married couple and Edward and Carlisle's first Christmas at war with each other, Esme had obviously wanted to do everything in her power to try to make the night was best as she could. Not including the mistletoe.

Emmett had already donned a Santa hat and was passing presents around to everyone as the mad frenzy began. Jasper let out a loud yelp of surprise when he opened his gift from Carlisle and Esme. He held up "Civil War: A Nation Divided" for Xbox 360.

"Oh my God, this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen! Alice, we need to leave immediately because your parents don't have a 360 here." He exclaimed breathlessly as he turned the game over in his hand.

"Gee, thanks a lot Mom and Dad. Now I'm not going to see him for like a month." Alice said lowly with disapproval.

Carlisle laughed heartily as he slapped Jasper on the back. "That was the idea, Alice."

She rolled her eyes but quickly turned her head in the direction of Emmett's shout.

"Yes!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air as he held up a Seattle Seahawk's jersey in his other fist. "The best team ever!"

Esme laughed as she passed out small envelopes to Alice, Rosalie, and Bella. They took them from her hand and with mischief in their eyes, tore the envelopes open to reveal gift certificates for a full day at the spa.

"I thought you girls would like doing something relaxing and fun together." She explained while the girls excitedly inspecting their gifts.

"Thank you so much! This is amazing!" They responded, each girl quickly getting to her feet to hug Esme tightly.

"You're welcome! I'm glad you girls like it."

"Oh…do we ever!" Rosalie exclaimed.

"Ok, ok…Bella, you have to open our present now…I've been waiting and waiting to give this to you and I just can't wait anymore!" Alice chirped, jumping up and down with two packages in her hands.

"Alright, alright, take it easy there, Alice." Bella laughed as she took the larger present out of Alice's hands. She quickly tore open the paper and opened the box to reveal a gorgeous shimmering gold dress. Her jaw dropped at the sight of it and she couldn't speak as Alice thrust the smaller package at her. Bella wordlessly set the dress down carefully next to her and opened the other present, which were matching gold spiky high heels. She didn't know what to say. Both presents were just too beautiful for words.

"Bella…" Rosalie whispered hesitantly. "We just thought you should have something special to wear for New Year's this year…but if you don't like it, you can take it back…"

Bella shook her head furiously. "No! I love it! I guess…I wasn't expecting you guys to get me anything like this! Now I feel stupid for what I got for you guys…"

"Oh come on, Bella! You know we'll love it, whatever it is." Alice responded cheerfully, obviously ecstatic that Bella actually liked the outfit.

Bella bit her lip as she retrieved their presents from under the tree and handed each one to them. Alice and Rosalie immediately tore off the paper and gasped when they saw what Bella had given them.

"It's not much, definitely not as extravagant as what you guys gave me but..."

Rosalie held up a hand, her eyes still glued to the photo album in her hands. "That's enough, Bella. This is fantastic…I love it!"

Alice looked up at Bella with tears in her eyes. "This is beautiful Bella. I don't even remember taking some of these pictures…"

They started flipping through the pages together as everyone else gathered around to get a look at the photo albums. Bella had made each them, with Rosalie's full of a combination of wedding photos and random snapshots of her and Emmett, while Alice's were full of photos of her and Jasper; in each photo album, Bella had included several pages of photos of their group of friends, dating back to grade school.

"Oh Bella…this is wonderful!" Rosalie exclaimed and grabbed Bella to pull her into a tight hug.

"I love it." She whispered into Bella's ear.

Bella smiled happily and brushed her own tear out of her eye. "I'm glad you guys like it."

Alice reached up and hugged her as well while the photo albums passed from person to person around the group.

"Hey!" Alice yelled suddenly. "Edward hasn't opened one yet! Emmett, find one under there for Edward!"

Emmett obliged his little sister and tossed a package to Edward. He turned it over to read the label and looked up at Bella in surprise.

"It's from Bella." He said hesitantly.

She smiled softly in encouragement and he ripped the package open until he held the blank music pages in his hands.

"I thought you might need something to write down that new song you've been working on." She told him warmly.

He nodded quietly as he stared at the pages.

"Oh yeah…" Emmett mused. "He hasn't let us hear his new song yet. We need to learn it before we can play it, you know Eddie."

Edward cast his brother a wary glance before turning back to look at the present Bella had given him. The room was silent for a moment until Billy spoke up.

"Bella," he began quietly. "There's one here for you from Charlie too. I don't know if you want to open it now or later but…Jacob, go give that to Bella."

Jacob quickly stood and handed the small package to Bella, who reached for it with shaky hands.

"You don't have to open that in front of us if you don't want to Bella." Esme whispered kindly.

Bella shook her head. "No, it's fine. It's doesn't matter…might as well just get it over with…"

She quickly ripped the paper off the small box and lifted off the cover with trembling hands. She wasn't aware that everyone's eyes were on her as she opened the note from Charlie that read: "I just thought I would pick up where Mom left off. Love you, Dad." She lifted the small object underneath the note out of the box, with tears welling up in her eyes. It was a white ceramic angel ornament. She held the delicate object in her quivering hand, refusing to look up to meet the expectant eyes of everyone else in the room. Instead, she tossed the ornament aside, not stopping to consider that she could have broken it.

"Bella…" Esme asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Bella still couldn't look up as she responded barely above a whisper. "I just need a second...I'll be right back."

She didn't hesitate and had fled the living room before anyone could respond to her; she didn't stop until the bathroom door closed behind her. Then the sobs began to escape, her chest heaving violently as she struggled to gasp for air. There were just too many emotions, too many feelings that she didn't want to give a name, too much pain erupting through her entire body. As much as she wanted to love and cherish Charlie's present, she wanted to hate it just as much. It was just one more reminder that her mother wasn't there anymore, would never be there ever again, and she would never receive another Christmas ornament from her ever again.

She was jolted out of her revelry by a light knock on the door.

"Bella?" Edward said softly.

She grimaced at the sound of his voice and furiously wiped her eyes clean of tears.

"Yeah?" She called.

There was a short pause.

"Can I come in?"

She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes. "Alright."

He slowly opened the door with deep concern etched in his forehead. He took in her blotched, red eyes and immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Are you alright?" He whispered softly into his hair.

She nodded and murmured into his shoulder. "Did you see it?"

She felt him nod as he responded quietly. "Yeah, I did."

"Am I a horrible person for hating it?"

He released her gently so he could finally look at her face while he spoke. "No…you're not. Maybe someday you'll love it but you don't have to right now."

She nodded slowly and sighed as she wiped her eyes again. "Thanks."

He smiled softly at her and rubbed her arms soothingly. "No problem. You know I never got a chance to thank you for the present. That was…well, I don't really know what to say…but thank you."

She laughed and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Well, you're welcome."

He smirked. "I got you something too but I didn't have a chance to…"

He was cut off by Esme, who stuck her head into the doorway. "Bella? Are you alright?"

Bella nodded quickly. "Yeah, sorry about that before I just needed to…"

Esme put a hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Now, why don't you two come back into the living room now. Edward…you still have to open your present from your father and I…so let's go!"

Bella and Edward laughed as they left the bathroom and made their way back to the living room where everyone else was waiting for them. Alice was at Edward's side in a heartbeat, with a package held up in her hands.

"Here you go!" She sang cheerily. "It's from Mom and Dad."

He rolled his eyes at her and took the present from her. He ripped the wrapping paper off quickly and he smirked as he held up the acoustic guitar pedal.

"Thanks, guys. I actually really needed one of these…this is great…" He said with a smile as he looked at the box. "This is the right one, that's for sure…"

Esme smiled happily and clapped her hands together in delight. "Oh…I'm glad you like it…I wasn't sure if…"

Edward waved his hand in dismissal. "No, Mom…this is perfect…"

Esme grinned broadly as Carlisle stepped forward with another package in his hand.

"And this one is from me…I know you don't need it quite yet, but you will so I just wanted to get you started early." He said with a smile.

Edward took the package from him and carefully tore the paper away from the box. He lifted the lid off the top of the box and exhaled loudly at what he saw. He looked back up at Carlisle with fury in his eyes. He threw the box down violently on the floor, causing the stethoscope to tumble out at Carlisle's feet.

"Nice, Dad…real nice. Thanks a lot for that grand fatherly gesture." He brushed past his father and stormed heatedly into the kitchen with Carlisle close on his heels. Their argument could be heard from the living room, much to the chagrin of those left behind.

"Did you really have to do that?" Edward spat out viciously.

"Edward, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…I just…"

"You just what? You thought you would throw it my face…yet again! God…I can't believe you, in front of everyone!"

"That was not my intention. I just thought you might need that in the future."

"What future, Dad? The one you've been pushing on me since the day I was born? That one? Well, guess what? I don't want that fucking future. I never did…why can't you understand that medicine was never something I wanted, but something _you _wanted."

"So you'd rather throw away your entire life in a filthy club full of women and play with a cover band? That's your idea of a future?"

"It's what I love right now. I don't know where I'll be ten years from now but I sure as hell won't be in medical school."

"But you have the intelligence to do it, Edward. It's an honorable profession, you'll be able to take care of yourself because of it…look at Jacob! He's done everything right…"

"And I've done everything wrong…is that what you're really trying to say? That I'm a failure? That music isn't honorable? What the fuck do you know?"

Carlisle took a long breath as everyone in the living room shifted nervously.

"Edward, that's not what I'm saying. I just meant that there's no future in it. You can still play your music and have medical school at the same time. I think if you study harder and retake a few classes, you could get in no problem."

"I'm not going to do that. I don't want to be a doctor, Dad. When are you going to accept that I don't want to be like you?"

At that, Bella exhaled angrily, threw her hands up in the air, and stomped into the kitchen.

"Alright, you two. That's enough!" She yelled at them.

Carlisle and Edward stared at her speechless, their eyes wide with shock and surprise.

"You know what you guys are?" She yelled again. "You're both assholes. That's what are you. I'm sick and tired of all this tension between you two. All the hostility. It's Christmas, god dammit! And Esme…did either of you even stop to think about what this has done to her? Did either of her even see the look on her face? You're ruining Christmas for her and she's worked so hard to make everyone happy and you two idiots can't even keep it together for one night to make _her_ happy. I don't care that you're mad at each other. You can argue all you want some other time but enough is enough! Christmas is about treasuring what you have and being with your family…look at what you have!"

She paused as she looked between the shocked faces of Edward and Carlisle before continuing.

"You both have an amazing family that I would kill to have! Edward…you have a father and a mother who love you unconditionally whether or not you want to see that. They both just want what's best for you and Carlisle may not understand what you want but you haven't given him much of a chance to try. And Carlisle…you have this huge, wonderful family with so much love and the best wife anyone could ever ask for and you have a son who's trying to reconcile what you want and what he wants and can't do it without help from you…and you constantly pushing him towards medical school doesn't help anything. Don't you both see what you're doing here? You're ruining this happy, beautiful family that a lot of people would die for and you're just throwing it all away because of stupid, petty pride! What a waste…"

Edward and Carlisle were silent as she pushed past them to head back into the living room, where everyone else was now standing up, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Bella quickly gathered up her and Edward's presents under her arm and looked up remorsefully at Esme.

"Esme…I'm sorry about all this but I think it's probably best if Edward and I get going now…especially with…the snow and everything."

Esme nodded quickly, trying to hide the tears in her eyes and quickly moved to embrace her.

"Thank you for trying." Esme whispered into her hair. "You know, you _are_ a part of this family. Don't ever forget that, ok?"

Bella nodded and sighed deeply. "Thanks, Esme. And I'm sorry again, for leaving like this…but it's probably best to just separate them right now."

She nodded sadly and rubbed Bella's shoulders comfortingly. "I know, I know…tell Edward to call me when you two get home, alright?"

"Sure." Bella whispered. She went back into the kitchen, where Edward and Carlisle were still standing.

"Come on, let's go home." Bella bit out icily.

Edward didn't hesitate to follow her out the door after saying his goodbyes to the everyone in the living room. He followed Bella out to the car and flinched when she slammed her door shut. He walked around to the driver's side and slide in quietly. She didn't say a word or even look at him as he started the car.

"Bella…" He began softly.

She shook her head furiously. "Don't start it with me, Edward."

He sighed loudly and focused his attention back on the road.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Edward couldn't stand the silence anymore. Bella was still refusing to speak or make eye contact with him and the tension was between them was rapidly pushing him to his breaking point. With a deep sigh, he reached underneath his seat to bring up a small wrapped package and held it out to her.

She turned her head at his sudden movement and hesitated before taking the present from him.

Before she started to open it, he sighed again. "Look, you're right. I am an asshole. You've been telling me that since…well, I can't exactly remember how long you've been telling me that but you're right. Anyways, I told you earlier that I didn't have a chance to give you your Christmas present so…here it is…you don't have to open it right now if you don't want to but I just wanted to give it to before you storm into the apartment and slam the door in my face."

Bella bit her lip and glanced at him cautiously out of the corner of her eye. His gaze was trained firmly on the road, his fists clenching the steering tightly as he waited to see what she would do.

A split second later, she was tearing the paper away from the present until she held the leather-bound journal in her hands. She looked back at him with wide eyes.

He quickly jumped to explain. "I just thought, you know…I don't know…when I have something I need to get off my chest, it's always been easier for me to write it down rather than say it…I think the words just come out better that way. So I thought you might want to try it..."

She nodded slowly as she turned the journal over in her hands. When she was still silent, he started to panic and began to ramble to cover his worry.

"I didn't mean to…suggest anything…I just thought it could be…I don't know, therapeutic for you…ugh, that wasn't what I meant. I meant I just wanted to give you something that you could use…"

She sighed and shook her head.

"Edward." Her voice came out in a whisper but it halted his speech immediately.

His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly and he leaned forward slightly as he waited for her continue.

"Edward," she started again softly. "You're an asshole. But you're also a thoughtful asshole."

He laughed reflexively at that and bit his lip, his knuckles relaxing against the steering wheel.

"I love it. I don't think I could ever tell you how much this means to me. Thank you, Edward."

He finally turned to her and met her smiling eyes. He couldn't help but grin back.

"You're welcome." He finally replied.

They remained silent through the rest of the ride home and even when they arrived back at their apartment. There was nothing left to be said for the night and they knew it. Although both knew instinctively that something had changed between them, they had their own demons to wrestle with and they quietly said goodnight to each other before shutting their bedroom doors.

* * *

**Yeah, nothing like a drama-filled Christmas! Hope you liked it!! Leave me a little review...I love them and they keep me going!!**


	9. Light Up the Sky

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews! I love it! A couple reviewers have said that Bella is acting a little like a 'shrew' (cringe) and I have to say that's not my intention at all. You have to remember that both Bella and Edward are pretty unhappy with their lives right now so they're both doing and saying pretty stupid things in retaliation. So hopefully that helps you understand a little bit better. On to the next chapter!**

BLEEDING LOVE

_I can't find a wall to pin this to,  
They're all coming down since I've found you.  
I just wanna be where you are tonight.  
I run in the dark looking for some light,  
And how will we know if we just don't try?  
We won't ever know. _

Let me light up the sky,  
Light it up for you.  
Let me make this mine,  
I'll ignite for you.

--"Light Up the Sky" by Yellowcard

Chapter Nine

"Ah…this is the life…" Rosalie sighed.

"Yeah…I have one amazing mother…" Alice exhaled and tipped her head back against her chair.

"This feels absolutely fantastic…what do you say we make a weekly appointment for this?" Bella moaned in near ecstasy.

"Oh…yeah, that's a great idea. Too bad we can't afford it!" Alice giggled.

"Oh right. I forgot we're poor college students." Bella agreed.

"Well, you're forgetting that I'm no longer a poor college student. I'm a poor newly married woman but I'm not sure which is worse." Rosalie laughed as she leaned back into her chair.

"So ladies," Alice began as the woman sitting at her feet started her pedicure. "What are the plans for tonight? I know the boys have a gig but I was thinking maybe we could just keep this a girls' night…I'm having so much fun with you girls today and those stupid boys don't really need us there every night, do they?"

Rosalie and Bella exchanged a glance before Rosalie answered carefully.

"Well, Alice, I kind of already promised Emmett that I would come to the club tonight and you know nervous he gets before a gig…if I'm not there, especially when I said I would be, that's only going to skyrocket his nerves."

Bella nodded quickly and turned back to Alice, whose eyes had widened with surprise.

"Yeah and Jacob owes me a drink for that stupid mistletoe crap and I'm not going to wait to get him to pay up."

Alice rolled her eyes up at that. "I have to admit that was pretty funny."

Bella, glad to have gotten the subject away from the plans for the night, narrowed her eyes playfully at her tiny friend, whose eyes were now glinting evilly. "You listen here, Alice Cullen, that was a nasty little trick you pulled and I haven't forgiven you yet."

Alice scoffed while Rosalie laughed merrily. "Haven't forgiven me? For what?"

Bella's eyebrows rose in annoyance. "Come on, really? You don't know what you did?"

"Oh, you mean how I pointed out that you and your roomie were conveniently underneath the mistletoe and made you kiss in front of everyone?" Alice shrugged innocently.

Bella exhaled angrily and opened her mouth to snap something evil but Rosalie quickly intervened.

"Alright children, that's quite enough of that. I do have to say though, Bella, it was about time you hooked up with one of your roommates."

Bella frowned as her mouth dropped open in shock. "What?"

Rosalie and Alice looked at one another and shrugged.

"Yeah, why not? You could cut the sexual tension between the three of you guys with a plastic spoon." Alice laughed with a snort.

"Well, come on Bella…you do live with two guys…" Rosalie agreed with a smile.

Bella shook her head furiously. "First of all, saying Jacob and I 'hooked up' makes it sound like it was worse than it actually was, if that's even really possible, and just because I have two guys for roommates does not mean there has to be sexual tension. I can't believe I'm hearing this from you guys…I don't want to hear this shit anymore!"

Alice smirked and bit her lip. "Alright, Bella, I'll give you the 'hooking up' thing but I could tell that Jacob definitely liked your little lip-lock on Christmas. And…I have to say that Edward did not look happy about it…"

"Oooo! A love triangle! I knew it! Bella, you little minx…you know, now that I'm an old married lady, I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through you now…" Rosalie sighed wistfully.

Bella smacked her on the arm.

"Hey!" Rosalie cried out.

"I can't believe you two! There is no love triangle. There is no sexual tension. Just let it alone guys, please!" Bella pleaded .

Alice giggled and she cast a sneaky glance to Rosalie, who was biting her lip to hide her laughter.

"Uh huh, sure Bella. Keep telling yourself that." Rosalie managed to get out.

"You know, if I was a betting woman, I would put my money on Edward. The way you two have been fighting lately, the way he was staring down Jacob after that naughty little kiss…man, he looked like he was going to rip Jacob's head off! And…oh, I almost completely forgot about this, the way he looked after you ripped him and my dad a new one, that was awesome by the way, but Edward, he looked like he wanted to throw up. Now, on the other hand, Jacob did look pretty happy after you two kissed and he's always doted on you but something tells me I should bet on Edward." Alice reasoned practically.

Rosalie was laughing hysterically by this point and Bella was shooting daggers at Alice's head.

"I hate you both." Bella hissed.

"Oh come on, Bella. I'm just kidding around with you. I didn't really mean all that…you know that, right?"

"Yeah, Bella, we're just messing around…God knows I probably won't live to see the day that Edward actually settles down with one woman…" Rosalie laughed.

Bella scowled angrily, still not ready to forgive them for mercilessly taunting her about a subject they knew was sensitive. "You guys are assholes."

Alice snorted. "I'm sorry but I believe you called my brother and my father that the other day and I will not be lumped in with those two idiots."

"Oh yeah? Well, too bad! You're an asshole."

Alice and Rosalie laughed good-naturedly and shook their heads.

"Settle down, Bella. Why are you so defensive about this anyway?" Rosalie asked curiously.

Bella chose to just roll her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"So anyways," she began, effectively switching topics. "What are the plans for tonight? I think we already established that we need to at least stop by the club but what else?"

"Well, I think it would be nice if we went out for dinner. You know we never do that anymore, not just the three of us." Rosalie chimed in.

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Rose. Oh, I think we should all come over to my place and get ready. You know, really primp ourselves up and look fucking hot tonight!" Bella exclaimed.

Alice looked at her like she had two heads. "Geez, what's gotten into you today? You never, _ever_ have fun getting ready for a night out and why do we have to get ready at your place anyways?"

Bella shrugged nonchalantly. "I have the biggest bathroom."

Alice nodded in agreement but still crossed her arms over her chest as she appraised her two friends carefully. They simply stared back at her expectantly.

"Ok…but…" Alice trailed off.

"You're the one that wanted a girls' night out…what's wrong with Bella's idea?" Rosalie asked genuinely.

"Nothing…I'm just surprised at Bella's enthusiasm. I guess I'm just not used to it." Alice shrugged.

Rosalie and Bella just smiled back at her sweetly as they leaned back to take in the rest of their spa treatment for the day.

* * *

"Ugh…it's packed tonight. I hate when it's this busy!" Alice yelled above the noise as her, Bella, and Rosalie pushed and pulled their way over to the bar.

The boys were already up on stage and going strong, groupies in all. Emmett was pounding the drums, his head bobbing to the beat; Jasper was bopping along as he gripped his bass and nodded to the girls when he saw them, a bright smile on his face; Edward was seated at his stool, with his guitar perched against him as he crooned out the lyrics for "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"I know! We'll still have a good time tonight though!" Rosalie yelled back cheerfully.

Alice frowned at her before turning to the bar and ordering the girls a round of drinks from Jacob, who was grinning widely.

"Hey girls! I'm glad you made it out here tonight." He said brightly as he handed them their drinks.

"Yeah, thanks Jacob." Alice responded through her frown, taking the drinks from the bar and handing them to Bella and Rosalie.

Her brow furrowed in suspicion and Rosalie quickly jumped to get her mind off of anything that could potentially ruin the night for her friend.

"Hey, Alice…do you know what our plans are for New Year's yet?" Rosalie asked hastily.

"I don't know," Alice replied slowly. "I guess that all depends on Bella."

Bella almost choked on her drink. "Why is that?"

Alice shrugged. "Well, I guess we just have to wait to see if you have a date or not."

"Why would that matter?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You have to wear that hot dress we gave you for _someone_, Bella. Why do you think we gave it to you?"

"I don't know…so I would look hot on New Year's?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, to look hot for _someone_, Bella…"

Now it was Bella's turn to roll her eyes. She caught Rosalie's gaze and she nudged her head toward the direction of the stage. Bella's eyes immediately flew to the stage and collided with Edward, who was playfully tossing his microphone up in the air as the boys got ready to start a new song. He caught her gaze and nodded to her, signaling that it was time.

Bella quickly turned to both girls. "Hey, I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick . I'll be right back!"

She immediately turned on her heel and took off in the direction of the bathroom. Edward waited until Bella was out of sight before announcing over the microphone.

"Well, it's that time of the night for me to take a little break. Ladies and gentleman, Bella Swan!"

The crowd started clapping and whistling at Bella's name and everyone in the crowd started anxiously looking for Bella. Edward pretended to scan the crowd for Bella before locking eyes with Alice, who was furiously waving and trying to yell: "She left!"

He tried to hide his smile as he cast a quick glance toward Jasper, who was putting on his best poker face.

"Bella!" he said again. "I swear I just saw her…Alice, Rose, where did she go?"

Rosalie just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head while Alice looked around for Bella desperately.

"She went to the bathroom!" Alice yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Edward frowned and nodded. "Well, I need to take a break…hey, I have an idea…Alice, you've never gotten up on stage before. Why don't you give it a try tonight?"

Alice's eyes widened in horror and she started to shake her furiously from side to side as Rosalie began to push her towards the stage.

"No, no, no…I'm not going up there. No way, no how, not happening!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as Rosalie continued to gently push her to the stage.

"Oh come on, Alice," Edward coaxed from the stage. "It's no big deal. If Bella can do it, so can you."

The crowd was clapping for Alice now in encouragement but she still furiously pushed back against Rosalie, who now had her about halfway to the stage.

"No, please…Rose, what are you doing? Don't make me do this…I swear to God…" Alice pleaded desperately.

"Alice, get your ass up here right now…I'm not going to take no for answer. You've been a closet karaoke lover for years…now's your big chance…get up here, now!" Edward's voice boomed from the stage.

The crowd started chanting: "Alice! Alice! Alice!"

Everyone was wildly clapping and whistling for her and Alice threw up her hands as she allowed Rosalie to drag her the rest of the way to the stage.

"I hate you!" She hissed under her breath to Rosalie, who just chuckled.

Edward reached down to help Alice up to the stage.

"Alice Cullen, everybody…my little sister's first time up here!" He said to the crowd as they clapped for her.

Alice was turning a deep shade of red from a comical mixture of embarrassment and sheer rage. She was practically fuming and Edward had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"Edward…I'm going to kill you when this is over…" She muttered lividly.

He grinned widely and stepped aside to reveal Jasper, who was on one knee in front of her. Edward handed him the microphone and stood behind him next to Emmett, who had gotten up from behind the drums to watch the event.

Alice's mouth dropped open and her eyes quickly flew out in the crowd to Rosalie, who was smiling happily and clapping her hands, and Bella, who had come out of nowhere to join Rosalie at the front and was now hugging Rosalie as they watched the scene before them.

Alice turned back to Jasper, who was fumbling with something in his pocket. When he finally retrieved it, he held out the small black box to her which she took with trembling hands.

He took a shaky breath as he watched her open the box. Her eyes widened with shock and her eyes flew back to meet his, shining with happy tears.

"Alice Cullen…I've been in love with you since the moment I saw you. Ever since the day you waltzed into my life, you've brought me nothing but happiness and all I want is to spend the rest of my life doing the same for you. Would you let me do that for you? Will you marry me, Alice?"

Alice's mouth opened slightly, a wave of joy washing over her face. She started nodding and flung herself into Jasper's arms, kissing him furiously. A loud roar of applause erupted from the crowd as they cheered the happy couple.

Edward smiled as he stepping forward to take the microphone from Jasper.

"Give it up for the newly engaged Jasper and Alice!"

The crowd cheered again as Jasper and Alice jumped down from the stage and made their way over to the bar, where Jacob was waiting with a congratulatory round of shots.

"So, in honor of this happy occasion, we're going to change it up a little tonight. Bella, would you please join me on stage…this one's for Jasper and Alice!"

Bella grinned and jumped on stage as Edward placed the microphone back on the stand for her and motioned for her to join him. Emmett tapped out the beat with his drumsticks and Edward started strumming the opening chords.

Bella swayed to the music and looked to Alice as she spoke: "This one's for you, babe. I love you and I'm so happy for you!"

Edward bent his head closer to hers as they shared the microphone:

"_Hey, where did we go  
Days when the rains came ?  
Down in the hollow  
Playing a new game,  
Laughing and a-running, hey, hey,  
Skipping and a-jumping  
In the misty morning fog with  
Our, our hearts a-thumping  
And you, my brown-eyed girl, _

You, my brown-eyed girl.  
Whatever happened  
To tuesday and so slow  
Going down to the old mine with a  
Transistor radio.  
Standing in the sunlight laughing  
Hide behind a rainbows wall,  
Slipping and a-sliding  
All along the waterfall  
With you, my brown-eyed girl,  
You, my brown-eyed girl.

Do you remember when we used to sing  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah  
Just like that  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah  
La dee dah.

Jasper twirled Alice round and bent her down to kiss her deeply while Edward and Bella happily kept singing, with Bella pointing playfully to Alice and blowing her kisses throughout the rest of the song.

So hard to find my way  
Now that Im all on my own.  
I saw you just the other day,  
My, how you have grown!  
Cast my memory back there, lord,  
Sometime Im overcome thinking about  
Making love in the green grass  
Behind the stadium  
With you, my brown-eyed girl,  
You, my brown-eyed girl.

Do you remember when we used to sing  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah  
Laying in the green grass  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah  
Dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la  
Dee dah la dee dah la dee dah la  
D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d…"

When the song was over, Bella jumped down from the stage and sprinted over to the bar to pounce on Jasper and Alice. She hugged them both fiercely to her and kissed them both on the cheek.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed when she finally released them. "You all knew about this the whole time, didn't you?"

Bella just smirked and nodded. Rosalie had made it over to them by now and she wrapped an arm around Alice's shoulders.

"Yep," Rosalie answered for Bella. "Everyone was in on it, even Emmett."

Alice laughed as Bella nudged her playfully with her elbow.

"You know it was nice to finally know something you didn't, Alice." Bella smirked.

Alice smacked her teasingly on the arm as Jasper wrapped his arm lovingly around her shoulders.

"I gotta get back up there but I won't be far…" Jasper whispered softly to Alice before kissing her gently on the lips.

Alice watched him jump up on the stage with a wistful smile on her face.

"That man is going to marry me." She finally said after a few long moments.

"Awww!" Rosalie and Bella chime in together.

They grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her closer the stage to dance while the boys knocked out "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes. Alice twirled around in circles while Rosalie grinded her hips to the beat. Bella, however, was desperately trying not to notice that Jessica was standing several feet away from them, with her eyes securely rooted to Edward's. She was swaying seductively to music and Bella's eyes widened in disgust when she saw Jessica mouth something to Edward. She hadn't been able to make out the entire exchange but Bella knew it was something dirty and most definitely had something to do with Jessica and Edward having sex after the gig was over. She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore the bitch, just barely missing the evil glare Jessica shot her way.

"Ugh…skanky whore." Rosalie muttered under her breath, making zero effort to hide her disdain for Jessica.

"Yeah! He's not still hooking up with her is he, Bella?" Alice asked frantically.

Bella shrugged her shoulders with indifference. "How should I know?"

Rosalie raised an eyebrow and bit her lip. "Well, you do live with him…so, you _would_ know."

Bella exhaled in frustration and shook her head furiously from side to side. "Don't start that shit again. Let's just enjoy the rest of the night, ok?"

Both girls nodded, content to just ignore the pathetic annoyance only a few feet away from them.

When the boys were done for the night, Bella made a mad dash for the bathroom before they had to leave. Thankfully, there wasn't much of a line so she was in and out faster than usual at the club. She was just turning on her heel to head back through the hallway to find Alice and Rosalie when a hand shot out and pulled her back deeper into the hallway.

She turned in surprise to meet the eyes of Edward, who had a very serious look in his eye that was both incredibly shocking and unsettling.

"Edward? What's up…" she trailed off as he led her further down the hallway and away from the rest of the crowd of people until they had reached a quieter place to talk.

He bit his lip and glanced quickly above her head into the crowd at the end of the hallway. She instinctively turned to see what he was looking at, half expecting to see Jessica there waiting for him but there was no one there. She looked back up at him and there was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. He wasn't looking at her but instead had his eyes trained on the wall they were leaning against.

"Edward?" She questioned again. "What's going on…is everything alright?"

He sighed deeply and roughly snatched the beanie from his head to run a shaky hand through his tousled hair.

"Well," he began unsteadily. "I've been thinking a lot about everything you said at Christmas and…"

"Edward," she hastily interrupted. "You don't have to…"

He held up a hand to cut her off. "Just let me say this, alright?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion, having no idea where this was going on and nodded slowly.

He sighed again and looked away briefly before speaking again. "Like I said, I've been thinking a lot about everything you said and you were completely right. About everything. It's made me realize that I've taken too much for granted, especially about some things that have probably been there for longer than I care to admit. I guess what I'm trying to say is, awkwardly…I know, but…"

"Hey, Edward! There you are!" Jacob called from the end of the hallway, effectively interrupting whatever it was that Edward was going to say.

Edward's head whipped around and he swore under his breath.

"What do you want, Jacob?" He asked harshly.

"Jasper and Emmett need you help getting the equipment into the storage room." Jacob responded easily, looking suspiciously from Edward to Bella and he took a few steps closer to them.

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair before putting the beanie back on. "Alright, I'll be right there."

He turned back to Bella, who was watching him expectantly, and opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. Instead, he smacked the wall next to him with his hand before wordlessly turning and following Jacob back out into the club.

Bella stared after him in shock, having no idea what had just happened. She had never seen him do or say anything like he just had and she didn't know what to make of it. He had definitely been acting strangely lately, especially after everything that had happened over Christmas, and she felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. She exhaled deeply to get herself together before walking back out of the hallway. She didn't have to look very hard to find Rosalie and Alice, who were lounging at the bar while they waited for their significant others to finish cleaning everything up.

"So I take it I need to find my own way home tonight, right?" Bella asked Rosalie and Alice expectantly as she walked up to them at the bar.

Alice just smiled sweetly up at her while Rosalie nodded. Bella sighed and looked over to Jacob.

"Well, Jake, I guess that means I'm hitching a ride from you tonight…that's ok, right?"

"Did you even need to ask, Bells?" He grinned brightly.

She smiled back but that smile quickly faded. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jessica slink up to Edward and wrap an arm seductively around his waist. He looked down at her in surprise and Bella shuddered slightly as she watched him throw an arm around her shoulders.

She turned back to Jacob, who was watching her intently. "I'm ready to go whenever you are, Jake."

He nodded to her and was quiet for the rest of the night. Rosalie and Emmett said they goodbyes as they headed off into the night with Jasper and Alice following soon after to go celebrate on their own. Unfortunately, this left Bella alone at the bar with only a few stray people still waiting for their cabs, Edward and Jessica included. She watched with a heavy heart as Jessica playfully pushed Edward towards the doors of the club and brought his head down close to her mouth, most likely whispering vulgar things into his ear. That was enough. Bella turned away after witnessing that, not wanting to have to be subjected to anymore of that. As Edward and Jessica walked out the door, Bella could have sworn she saw Edward cast her a glance before following Jessica out the door but she couldn't be sure.

She didn't have to wait too long before Jacob walked around the bar and announced that he was ready to leave. She barely spoke as they drove back to the apartment, her gut twisting into a tight knot as she tried desperately not to think about what was waiting for her to endure when she finally got home.

* * *

**Ok, ok,ok...I know that was a little bit of tease. Don't worry though. Bella and Edward will get together, I promise. But it can't be that easy, otherwise what would be the point right? **

**Before everyone starts yelling about Edward going home with Jessica, you have to remember what I said at the beginning of the chapter. Add that to the fact that he almost just admitted his feelings for Bella. I think I'd be pretty freaked out if I were him and it makes sense that he would fall back to old habits to cope with all that. Like I said, don't worry ;)**


	10. White Horse

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews and alerts! You guys are fantastic! So...I'm playing with time a little bit here but it's really just to put emphasis on some things (I'm sure you'll figure it out). Anyways, on to the next chapter...**

* * *

BLEEDING LOVE

_Say you're sorry  
That face of an angel comes out  
Just when you need it to.  
As I pace back and forth  
All this time cause  
I honestly believed in you.  
Holdin' on  
The days drag on  
Stupid girl I should have known, I should have known._

That I'm not a princess.  
This ain't a fairytale.  
I'm not the one you sweep off her feet,  
Lead her up the stairwell.  
This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town.  
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down.  
Now it's too late for you and your white horse to come around.

--"White Horse" by Taylor Swift

Chapter Ten

On the outside, Bella was perfectly composed. She carried on as though nothing had happened. That he hadn't hurt her more deeply than she had ever been hurt by anyone. And inside, she was screaming with rage. In some ways, he had hurt her more than her mother had when she had decided to swallow an entire bottle of pills. She knew, deep down, that her mother had never intentionally meant to hurt her. It hadn't been about her and she knew that. But Edward, well, she wasn't so sure about that.

He seemed to be flaunting his new 'girlfriend' in her face as if he was saying: "See look! I can be a one woman man. You're wrong about me!" She wished she could be happy that he was finally starting to act like a normal human being but she didn't have it in her to be generous. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Not to mention his strange behavior that night at the club, whatever he had been trying to tell her was haunting her and she had a sinking feeling she would never find out. His narcissism was beginning to drive her insane and she was furious with herself for letting him get to her.

Ever since high school, he had been that way. Womanizing, slacking off, and not giving two shits about anyone but himself. It had always annoyed her and there had always been tension between them because of it but never like this. She had never wanted to punch him senseless before now. It had never gotten to the point where she didn't want to be around him before now. She needed to keep her distance for the sake of her own sanity.

And she was starting with keeping her distance from the club. That was the first step in the rehabilitation program she had mentally enrolled herself in. On the other hand, what did she care anyways? So what if he was ruining his life and putting himself at risk of various communicable diseases? It was his life to ruin and who was she to judge him when she definitely had her own problems to worry about before dealing with his man-whoring drama. Ugh. She was giving herself a headache.

She sighed with relief when her phone buzzed above her head and she flipped it open.

"Hey Bella!" Alice sang happily into her ear.

Bella smiled. "Hi Alice. What's up?"

"Well…I wanted to figure out what we were doing tonight. We could stop by the club later…"

"I don't really feel like going there tonight."

Alice didn't miss a beat. "You haven't really felt like going there a lot lately."

Bella sighed into the phone. "I'm just getting sick of that scene. I'm in serious need of a change of scenery."

"Ok…hey! We need to find you a date for New Year's anyway so maybe a change would be for the best anyway."

Bella groaned loudly. "Ugh...I suppose. But don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen. I'm perfectly fine with not having a date. I don't see what the big deal is anyway."

"Well, Bella! It kind of is a big deal, you know, since it's New Year's and all. But you're right, you don't really _need _a date. You can look hot in that dress we got you with or without one."

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

"Hey Bell?" Alice asked quietly.

Bella's brow furrowed. "Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…why do you say that?"

"I don't know. I guess you just haven't been acting like yourself lately. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

Bella sighed. "It's fine."

"You know…you know you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?"

"Of course I know that. But really, I'm fine, I'm fine, I promise."

"Ok, well…I'm here. Just remember that."

"Thanks, Alice."

"Love ya."

"Love ya too. So sappy moment aside, let's plan on trying somewhere new tonight. I don't care where."

"Sounds good. I'll call Rosalie and let her know she won't be able to ogle her hubby tonight. I'm sure she won't care all that much…we'll pick you up at 10, ok? I hope I can trust you to dress yourself appropriately."

Bella snorted into the phone. "Come on, Alice."

Alice started to protest in vain but Bella cut her off.

"Don't even…I know how your twisted mind works. You probably have the perfect outfit all picked out for me already so I can pick out the perfect guy tonight. But before you get any crazy ideas, I'm sure I'll be able to find something up to Alice Cullen standards."

"Right…and by the way, it's Alice Cullen soon-to be-Alice-Hale standards."

Bella had to chuckle at that. "How could I have forgotten that?"

"Well, that was your one slip. Anyways, so I'll see you at 10, right?"

"Sounds good. Bye, Alice."

"Bye hun."

Bella sighed as she threw her phone back above her head and laid back down on her bed. She had some time to kill now and had no idea what to do with herself. She wanted to watch TV but also wanted to avoid a certain roommate at all costs. She had barely spoken to him since the night Jasper and Alice got engaged and she intended to keep it that way. Besides, she could hardly stand to look at him anyways. Just the thought of having to be in the same room with him made her stomach crawl.

With a determined exhale, she threw her legs over the side of her bed and jumped up. Despite her current hatred for him, she wasn't about to let him make herself a prisoner in her own home. It was her apartment too and if she wanted to watch TV, well, she had every damn right to. She had no reason to hide in her room. If anyone had reason to hide, it was him.

Against her better judgment, she cast a quick glance into her mirror before walking out of her bedroom. With a pounding heart, she walked straight into the living room and plopped down on the couch without as much as a glance to Edward, who was seated only several feet away from her. He shifted uncomfortably on the other side of the couch and she could feel his eyes boring into her. Still, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction.

She heard him exhale loudly but she still didn't look at him. His foot was pulsing anxiously on the floor and she knew what he wanted.

Instead, she started looking around for the remote. After only a moment of searching, the remote appeared in front of her face. She gingerly took it from his hand but still refused to look at him.

"Something on you wanted to watch?" He said quietly.

She shook her head, not even bothering to respond to him. She started flipping through the channels mercilessly before she finally gave up and threw the remote down in between them with a huff. She launched herself from the couch and was in the kitchen scrounging through the refrigerator in a matter of seconds.

She was still looking for food when she heard his voice behind her.

"So…do you girls have any big plans for tonight?"

His voice was quiet and overly cautious but she couldn't really blame him for that.

Without bothering to pop her head out of the refrigerator, she answered: "Not really."

He paused before responding. "Are you going to the club tonight?"

"Nope."

Another pause. "Oh."

By this time, she had already found something appetizing and was putting some leftover lasagna on in the microwave, silently congratulating herself for still refusing to look him in the eye. He didn't deserve it.

"You haven't…" he began again. "You haven't been there for awhile."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"What difference does it make?" Her tone had taken on a darker edge to it, even though she had been trying to be civil.

She knew he was nervously running a hand through his gorgeously tousled bronze hair, even though she didn't need to look at him to know this. He sighed again, most likely because of the tone she had used with him but she felt zero tug of responsibility over his discomfort. He was a big boy. And he had made his bed.

"Well, sure it makes a difference," Edward was saying now. "I've been dying up there without my nightly breaks…"

She rolled her eyes and for the first time since coming out of hiding, she looked up at him. She could tell from him expression that her eyes were not friendly and he quickly held up his hands in defense.

"I'm sorry…that didn't come out right. I guess I was just trying to say that it's weird not having you there. I guess I've just gotten so used to seeing you there that it's strange if you're not…and people have been asking us where you are and when you're coming back. Everyone misses having you there."

For a split second, she was speechless. But thankfully she quickly found her voice. "I guess I've just gotten sick of it. Everything about the club has gotten old."

It came off bitchier than she had intended but she was past the point of caring. He was staring back at her with an incredulous expression but his eyes gave away his true feelings: pain and guilt. Good.

She turned back to her leftovers and began eating hungrily, no longer paying any attention to Edward, who was still rooted in place ten feet away from her. Finally she heard his pained voice from across the room.

"Is it because of me?"

She glanced back at him in surprise, having definitely not expected him to be _that _observant. But she wasn't about to let him know that. So she flipped her hair over her shoulder and scooped up a forkful of lasagna before muttering:

"Don't flatter yourself, Edward. Not everything is about you."

With that, she shoved the lasagna into her mouth and brushed past him, plate in hand, and perched herself back on the couch. She barely flinched when she heard his bedroom door shut several moments later.

* * *

"I can't even tell you how glad I am to be somewhere else tonight!" Bella yelled over the noise of music.

Alice nodded happily and spun around to the beat.

"I have to admit it's nice to be with a different crowd every once in a while. Some of those regulars at the club just get so annoying sometimes." Rosalie replied.

"I think _we_ could be described as regulars." Bella reminded her.

Alice jumped in front of her and shook her head from side to side, still keeping in time with the music. "Not you, Bella! You haven't been there for awhile."

"Yeah, what's with that?" Rosalie chimed in.

Bella rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. "It's nothing. I just needed a change of scenery."

Alice put a supportive arm around her shoulder. "Well, whatever's going on…I'm just glad to see you a little bit happier than you've been lately."

"Thanks, Alice." Bella smiled warmly.

Suddenly, Rosalie started smacking her in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Bella cried out, rubbing her arm.

Rosalie pointed excitedly across the bar and Bella followed her direction until her eyes rested on a blonde-haired guy who was smiling brightly back at her.

"He's been watching you like a hawk since we walked in here." Rosalie whispered lowly.

Alice shrieked and grabbed Bella's hand anxiously. "Ah! I know him…he's in one of my classes…shit, shit! Which one is it…shit!! But he's a really great guy, Bella…you should go talk to him!"

Bella immediately shook her head. "No! I can't do that…just because he seems like a really nice guy doesn't mean he is. Remember James? No…the whole trying to find a New Year's date thing was a bad idea. Let's just have fun tonight, alright? I don't have enough time anyways. Besides, I don't need a date. I'll be fine on my own. Come on…let's go dance!"

She refused to let Alice and Rosalie respond, instead pulling them out onto the dance floor. Another song came on as they found an open spot to dance and Bella's eyes widened with recognition. "So What" by Pink was a little too close to home but it still was a great song so she had no problems shaking her hips to the beat and jumping up and down when the chorus picked up.

Bella barely noticed when both Rosalie and Alice froze in place, their eyes locked on something behind her. Despite her mind screaming warnings at her, her curiosity won out and she turned her head to see what the big deal was. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized who was pushing through the crowd to get closer to her.

Her mouth opened slightly and she leaned back to Rosalie and Alice, who were desperately trying to hide knowing smiles. When the blonde-haired guy was finally within inches of her, he lowered his head to ear and shot out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Mike Newton." He said over the music.

Bella put on the best flirtatious smile she could muster and took his hand. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan."

He smiled widely at that and she was acutely aware that he still hadn't let go of her hand. By this time, he had noticed Alice, who was still frozen in place, clutching Rosalie's arm.

"You're in my Psychology class aren't you? Alice Cullen, right?" He said genially.

A flash of understanding crossed her face but she quickly recovered and nodded to him warmly. "Right, right…Psychology. I sit right behind you."

He nodded again, his smile widening even more, although Bella could hardly believe that was possible. His gaze darted between all three of them now. He shot out his hand to Rosalie and they politely introduced themselves.

"So how do you all know each other?" Mike asked with a little too much interest.

Thankfully, Alice stepped in. "Well, we've all known each other since we were kids but long story short, I'm engaged to Rosalie's younger brother, Jasper, and Rosalie just got married to my older brother, Emmett, and Bella lives with my other brother Edward and our friend Jacob."

Disappointment with a hint of jealousy flashed in Mike's eyes and he nodded slowly.

"Oh, so, you have a boyfriend then, Bella?"

As a knee-jerk reaction, she furiously shook her head. "No, definitely not. They're just my roommates."

He seemed to look more relieved and more encouraged as well. "Oh, ok, that's cool I guess."

There was an awkward silence between the four of them before Mike spoke again.

"Well, some of my friends and I are leaving soon. We're going to this awesome place called The Twilight Club. I guess there's a cool cover band that plays there every week and…well, I was wondering if you ladies wanted to join us."

Although he had said 'ladies', he was looking straight in Bella's direction. Bella, however, groaned inwardly. Hadn't she been avoiding that place? Did it really have to there of all places? She glanced hesitantly from Rosalie to Alice and both nodded their heads in approval. She exhaled loudly before casting a glance toward Mike, who was watching her with excited expectation. She was about to say no but Alice wiggled her way in between them and answered for her.

"Sure…we'd love to!" She chirped enthusiastically.

Relief and excitement immediately washed over Mike's face. "Alright! Sounds like a plan. My friends and I will probably head over within twenty minutes. See you there!"

He flashed another bright smile at her before turning to find his friends. This time, Bella let the groan escape her lips.

"What?" Rosalie and Alice asked simultaneously.

Bella threw her arms up. "The whole point of tonight was to go somewhere else!"

Alice shrugged. "So..."

"So maybe the last place I want to be right now is that stupid fucking club!"

"Well, if you didn't want to do, you should've just said so." Alice replied calmly.

"You didn't give me a chance!" Bella yelled at her.

"I didn't think you were ever going to answer." Alice retorted.

"Great! Just great! You're going to drag me to the club tonight when I specifically told you I didn't want to go there! This is perfect…now he's going to think I'm showing up tonight just because of him."

Alice's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who?"

"You know who."

Rosalie stepped in now. "Since when do you give a flying fuck what he thinks anyway?"

"I don't it's just that…"

"Who cares? He doesn't dictate where you go and don't go. If you want to go to the club tonight and flirt with that cute guy over there, you should." Alice stated firmly.

"Yeah, what's stopping you, Bella?" Rosalie asked with her hands perched on her hips.

"I…I…"Bella stammered helplessly. "I don't know."

Alice smiled smugly and jutted out her arm to her. "So let's go then."

Bella knew they were, more or less, trying to call her bluff, to prove to them and to herself that Edward didn't mean anything to her. That she didn't care about him. Or that she could at least pretend to.

She sighed deeply before nodding her head. "Alright, let's get this over with."

* * *

Once they were inside the club, it didn't take them long to spot Mike and his assortment of drunk friends. He waved a little too enthusiastically over to them when where he and his friends stood at the bar. Alice and Rosalie waved back, much to Bella's chagrin, and started pushing their way through the crowd. Mike and his friends started clearing a spot for them at the bar. Bella caught Jacob's eye and when he sent her a questioning look, she just sent him a weary look back in return. She would just have to explain later. If she even made it through the rest of the night.

Mike slid a drink her way but she adamantly shook her head. When he frowned in confusion, she knew she needed to explain herself.

"Sorry…but I've learned from experience to never accept a drink from someone you don't know, especially if it wasn't made in front of you." Bella clarified with as much humor as she could muster.

He looked a little more shocked now than confused and he just nodded. Alice was shooting daggers at her now and although she knew that Mike wasn't probably the type to slip a roofie into her drink, 'probably' wasn't good enough for her anymore. She didn't care if it made her look like a bitch. She was way too trusting for her own good and she had learned that lesson the hard way.

Jacob handed her a Captain and Diet and that was good enough for her. She finally let her attention wander over to the stage, where the boys were knocking out "Troublemaker" by Weezer, and she was grateful it was getting toward the end of the night so she wouldn't be dragged up on stage even if one of them spotted her. Suddenly, she was very relieved that no one had remembered to inform Mike that they had connections to the band members. That was opening up a whole new can of worms that she didn't feel like dealing with. Especially since she wasn't all that crazy about Mike to begin with and didn't see the point of introducing him to everyone else. Dragging him into all that drama just seemed like overkill to her.

The boys started playing "One" by U2 and Mike gestured to the center of the room with his head.

"Do you want to dance, Bella?" He asked sweetly.

She bit her lip nervously and nodded slowly. She felt him lead her to an open spot and his hands slid around her waist as they started swaying to the music. Edward's voice floated across the room and the second she was facing the stage, their eyes collided. His eyes seemed to be a green ocean of swirling emotions, none of which she could completely place. The words of the song washed over her in waves and it almost seemed as if he was singing to her while she swayed in the arms of another man. No, probably not.

She forced her gaze away from him, looking desperately at some random spot in the club. But before she could stop herself, her gaze returned to him and she wasn't surprised that his eyes were still locked on her. Something was building up in her chest and she quickly pushed it back down. No, not here…she wasn't going to cry or do anything remotely vulnerable or stupid tonight. She closed her eyes and let his voice continue to wash over her; there was something about it that she had always loved, sure it was ungodly sexy, but it had an earnest quality about it too, like he was baring his soul every single time he was on stage, if no where else. She understood that much about him, even though she didn't seem to understand much else anymore. He was becoming something of an enigma to her now, an enigma that she wasn't sure she wanted to solve.

Mike's hands gripped her a little tighter now, effectively forcing her out her little revelry. She could tell he was looking down at her and knew he was silently willing her to look up. Against her better judgment, she did.

"Hey Bella," he whispered into her ear. "Do you have any plans for New Year's? I know it's kind of short notice but I'd really like to see you again."

She hesitated for a moment, severely wishing she hadn't looked up at him now. Somehow, she had known this was going to come up eventually and although he did seem like a genuinely nice guy, there was just nothing with him. No spark. No real interest of any kind. But, on the other hand, she hated disappointing Alice, especially when she had her heart set on something.

So with a heavy sigh, she shook her head. "No, I don't have any plans actually."

His eyes lit up immediately. "Really? That's great! I mean…great for me, I guess. So, it's a date then?"

She forced a smile on her face, praying to God he wouldn't notice. "Yeah, it's a date."

Her eyes briefly flitted to the stage again, where Edward was watching her carefully. In a flash, her gaze darted away from him where it stayed for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Well, I have to say it's about time Bella started realizing a few things...starting with the fact that Edward has been a huge asshole to her. I hope that satisfied some of your complaints about her being too easy on him. From here on out, he's going to have to do something to get back into her good graces. For those of you that have asked when we'll get Edward's pov on things, it is coming, I promise. **

**New Year's Eve is next...please R/R!!!**


	11. Perfect Situation

**Well, I've officially hit over 200 reviews!! Yay! You have no idea what that means to me! Anyways, I got a little writer's block with this chapter, probably because I've been itching to write the upcoming chapters for a while now and they're finally at hand...so on to the New Year's chapter. I hope it lived up to your expectations...**

BLEEDING LOVE

_What's the deal with my brain?  
Why am I so obviously insane?  
In a perfect situation  
I let love down the drain.  
There's the pitch, slow and straight.  
All I have to do is swing  
And I'm a hero, but I'm a zero._

Get your hands off the girl,  
Can't you see that she belongs to me?  
And I don't appreciate this excess company.  
Though I can't satisfy all the needs she has  
And so she starts to wander...  
Can you blame her?

"Perfect Situation" by Weezer

Chapter Eleven

"Ah! This is so exciting! This is going to be the best night ever!" Alice hopped from foot to foot, buzzing around the room while Bella and Rosalie put the finishing touches on their makeup.

For once, Alice had actually allowed Bella to do her makeup herself for a big night out. So Bella had reveled in the fact that Alice was too preoccupied with her own hair and makeup, even though she still kept a close eye on Bella's choices.

With a heavy sigh, Bella took one more long look in the mirror before resigning herself to finally walking away from the bathroom. Despite Alice's assertions, she seriously doubted that this was going to be 'the best night ever', as Alice had exuberantly stated. Sure, she was excited to finally be able to wear her Christmas present from Alice and Rosalie but that was about it. She talked to Mike several times on the phone and while he _was_ a really nice guy, she just couldn't shake her feelings of indifference towards him. And she felt horrible about that. When they had talked, he really had seemed genuinely interested in whatever she had had to say, asking her questions, politely backing off of some more personal issues when he sensed she didn't want to talk about it, and he seemed to really like her. She just wished she could return that sentiment. She wanted to like him, she really did. But for whatever reason, she just didn't. Here was a guy that finally genuinely liked her, with no ulterior motives, with no questionable past, and there was no good reason why she shouldn't like him, she just didn't. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry at the irony.

Yet, she was going to get through this night if it killed her. It was New Year's Eve, god dammit, and she was going to have some fun. Besides, she didn't want to bring everyone else down with her, especially since all of her friends were so pumped up for this night. She could hear Emmett, Jasper, and Edward doing a few 'pre-party' shots in her kitchen and were blasting music to further put everyone in the party mood. She needed to get up to that level and start having some fun. She was young and hell, she looked fantastic in her new dress. Why not?

She heard a slight commotion coming from outside the bathroom and all three girls froze.

"Ooo…do you think that's your date?" Alice cooed.

"I bet that boy can barely contain himself he's so excited to see you." Rosalie added.

They listened carefully, with their ears to the door, as the boys greeted Mike. All three seemed to welcome him equally, with no awkwardness, and Bella let out a little sigh of relief at that. She had been worried about how all the boys would mesh with each other and the last thing she wanted was for Mike to feel out of place or have a bad night, especially since he was being such a nice guy. If he had a bad night, it would most likely be because of her and she didn't want that on her conscience.

Alice was tugging at her from behind now.

"Come on, let's get out there!" She squealed.

Rosalie winked at Bella and grabbed her arm to lead her out of the bathroom. As the three girls made their way around the corner, they caught the tail-end of all four boys doing a shot.

"Ugh! You jerks! Why didn't you wait for us!" Rosalie exclaimed angrily.

Emmett's head immediately shot up at the sound of his wife's voice. "Hey babe! We were just welcoming Mikey here to the group."

As he spoke he gave Mike a hearty slap on the back and started massaging his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Mikey," Emmett whispered secretively to him. "I'm gonna take care of you tonight. Nothing to worry about."

Bella took that as her cue to officially rescue her date from the clutches of her male friends for the first time that night. She had a sinking feeling she was going to be doing a lot of rescuing.

Mike's eyes lit up when he saw her approaching him and he immediately scrambled over to her. His eyes roamed her from top to bottom and she felt an uncomfortable knot form in the pit of her stomach.

"Bella…you look…absolutely fantastic!" Mike rasped out. He hugged her quickly and when he released her, he looked her up and down again as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Behind them, she heard a high-pitched whistle and narrowed her eyes at Emmett and was about to scold him when Rosalie promptly smacked him on the side of the head.

"Ow!" He whimpered, rubbing his sore spot. "What was that for, Rose?"

"You're supposed to be whistling at _me_, you dumbass!" Rosalie bit out through clenched teeth.

"Oh right." He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled again, this time in her direction but that didn't really appease her. Emmett just shrugged his shoulders and poured her a shot, which she took without hesitation.

"Alright, everybody, we have two cabs waiting to haul all our asses to the club but before we go, we need to do one last shot…" Emmett bellowed. He proceeded to fill everyone's shot glasses and after a countdown from three, everyone emptied their glasses.

"Let's go!" Was the simultaneous battle cry.

As they gathered their coats and readied to leave, Mike slid an arm around her shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Edward's eyes narrow slightly at that but she just shrugged it off. If she worried about that and him, more specifically, she'd be on the fast track to having a bad night. Time to have fun.

"Since when is there a line to get in?" Rosalie whined.

Jasper scoffed at her. "It's New Year's, what did you expect?"

Rosalie smacked her younger brother on the head, causing him to rub the spot with a grimace on his face. Emmett just ruffled his hair.

"Join the club, buddy." Emmett muttered to him.

Alice was hopping from foot to foot now to keep warm and Jasper wrapped his arms around her try to facilitate that. Mike seemed to take his cue from Jasper and also wrapped an arm around her shoulders, rubbing them quickly to cause enough friction to keep her warm.

As a knee-jerk reaction to Mike's movement, Edward seemed to stiffen next to her. She heard him exhale loudly and look to the side, effectively putting her and Mike out of his line of sight.

His head snapped back at the sound of his name.

"Hey Edward?" Alice called mockingly from in front of them. "Is your 'girlfriend' going to be joining us tonight?"

Edward rolled his eyes at this and shot his little sister a death glare. "Well, first of all, I wouldn't necessarily call her my girlfriend and yes, I think her and some of her friends are going to be stopping by later."

Both Alice and Rosalie rolled their eyes in return and shook their heads.

"What do you mean you wouldn't call her your girlfriend? She's been at the club for every one of your gigs lately and you two always seem to leave together." Rosalie snapped back at him.

"That doesn't make her my girlfriend." Edward replied back with a smug smile.

Alice scoffed loudly at that and shot her brother a look of pure disgust.

"I hate that bitch." Rosalie muttered under her breath.

"She's pure evil." Alice whispered back to her.

If Edward heard them, he didn't show it and went back to staring at a random spot in the parking lot, keeping his eyes carefully trained away from Mike, who still had his arm draped around Bella.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait much longer to get into the club. Unfortunately, the club was the most packed any of them had ever seen. There were people crowded from wall to wall and it was all they could do just to get to the bar to order some drinks.

Mike took Bella's coat from her, like the gentleman he was, and put it under his arm. She smiled as a weak 'thank you' and he gestured to the bar, signaling for her to place her order with Jacob, who hadn't been able to get off of work and was stuck behind the bar for the night.

"I learned my lesson last time." Mike smirked to her.

This time a genuine smile crossed her lips and she leaned across the bar to tell Jacob what she wanted.

"I am so glad they didn't make us play tonight." Jasper was saying over the music.

Bella nodded in agreement. The crowd was almost too much, to the point where it wasn't all that much fun because there were just too many people in one small space. The bar manager had graciously recognized that the boys might actually want to enjoy their New Year's Eve and had hired a DJ for the night, even though they were quickly becoming the main staple and selling point for the club's traffic of customers.

She stiffened a little as Mike placed his hand on her the small of her back and she felt Alice's eyes on them. She turned quickly to look at her friend, who now had a worried expression on her face and smiled reassuringly at her. Everything was going to be fine. She was going to have fun. No big deal.

Just then, a high-pitched squeal shot out from behind then and Bella involuntarily cringed at the sound.

"Eddie!"

Bella didn't need to turn around to know who had made that ear-shattering sound.

Jessica all but threw herself at Edward, pouncing on him and wrapping her legs around his waist. She didn't even notice that she practically knocked over a few innocent bystanders in the process. She laid a series of provocative kisses on the side of his neck and he pushed her off of him, openly embarrassed by the display.

"Jessica…" he managed to get out in between kisses. "Come on, knock it off."

She pouted as she slide down from him, her feet connecting with the floor. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

He cast a weary glance to his side and Emmett chuckled next to him.

"Uh…sure, yeah…sure I am, babe. I just didn't think you would get here so early. Where are your friends?"

She waved him off, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Oh, I ditched them for tonight. I just wanted to be with you anyways. Screw them."

Edward forced a smile and his eyebrows rose in what seemed to be a classic mixture of shock and horror. "That's great."

She nodded enthusiastically and looked expectantly from Edward to the rest of the group. It took him a few seconds to catch what she wanted from him.

"Oh! Right…Jessica, you know Emmett already, this is his wife, Rosalie. And you know Jasper, this is his fiancé and my sister, Alice…that's Bella, my roommate and her…date…Mike."

Jessica nodded curtly to each of them as Edward made the awkward introductions. When her eyes met Bella's, they hardened with cold black ice. Bella couldn't stop herself and her eyes narrowed slightly at the look in Jessica's eye. It was obvious that this girl hated her and they had just met. Bella didn't feel much remorse for that though, because she had hated Jessica from the moment she first saw her.

She felt Mike's hand slide to her waist and she shuddered slightly at the movement. He seemed to take that as encouragement, even though it was far from, and his hand tightened against the fabric of her dress. He bent down to her and she felt his lips brush into her hair. She stiffened at that. She was pretty sure he hadn't earned that yet, if ever, and was started to be extremely uncomfortable with where this night seemed to be heading for them. Well, she would just have to nip that in the bud.

Pulling away from him, she hurried moved towards Rosalie and Alice, grabbing their attention immediately.

"Hey girls, let's hit the dance floor." She yelled over the music. They each shot her a worried look but nodded nonetheless and moved to follow her.

Bella turned around to start heading towards the dance floor and ran smack into Edward's chest. She started to tumble backwards but his arms shot out and caught her before she landed on the floor. His arms tightened around her and she quickly shrugged herself out of his grasp.

"Thanks." She muttered. She brushed past him as she dragged Rosalie behind her, with Alice following closely behind.

Alice shrieked loudly when "Live Your Life" by T.I. and Rhianna started playing and the girls immediately started shaking their hips and jumping up and down at the chorus. Bella just closed her eyes and let the music and the moment wash over her, trying to forget all the things that could potentially go wrong over the course of the night. She just wanted to have fun and found herself smiling widely when Rosalie started grinding against her.

"That'll show those stupid boys to let us go off on the dance floor by ourselves." Rosalie said into her ear.

Bella nodded and they kept dancing to the rest of the song with Alice twirling happily around them. When Alice caught her eye, she frowned and her dancing slowed down a little.

"What's wrong, Bella?" She asked worriedly.

Bella just shook her head.

"You're not having fun." Rosalie stated with accusation brimming in her voice.

"No, no, it's not that. I'm having a great time, really I am." Bella quickly rushed out.

"Then what is it?" Alice said with slight disapproval, her hands firmly on her hips.

"It's nothing, ok? Let's just forget it and go back to having a good time...you know, I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back. Promise." Bella responded with the most confidence she could muster.

Alice opened her mouth to stop her but quickly shut it when she saw that she wouldn't be able to convince her to stay and talk to them. Bella just didn't have the heart to tell either of them that agreeing to spend New Year's with Mike had been a bad idea. She knew that Alice and Rosalie would automatically blame themselves for her current predicament and it wasn't really their fault anyway. She could've said no and just went solo for the night but she didn't.

She pushed through the crowd to get to the bathroom only to find an unbelievably long line. She sighed and resigned herself to the back of the line. Leaning against the wall, she mused that this was better than having Mike's hands all over her anyways. She was dreading midnight. Absolutely dreading it. There would be no way she would be able to get out of having to kiss her date after that stupid countdown. Why do people do that anyway? She wanted to kick whoever started that tradition in the groin with her lethally pointy stilettos.

Just then, she heard someone come up behind her and she instinctively turned her head only to meet the death glare of Jessica. Bella sighed and shook her head slightly.

"Hey Jessica." She said in a poor attempt at friendliness.

"Hi Bella!" Jessica said, a little too sweetly. "This is pretty long line, huh?"

"Yeah well, it's New Year's. What did you expect?" Bella replied over her shoulder, hoping it didn't come off as bitchy as it sounded.

Jessica laughed at that; it was high-pitched and sounded a little forced but Bella did her best not to notice and to push down the bile rising in her throat. This girl was a real piece of work.

"Edward said you were funny!" Jessica laughed, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder as she giggled.

Bella frowned at this. What she had said wasn't really all that funny. What the hell was this girl trying to pull?

"So, Jessica," Bella said over her shoulder again. "How are things with you and Edward?"

"Oh, I'd say things are pretty hot and heavy right now. He hasn't said he wants to exclusive yet but I know he's going to soon."

Bella bit back a smug smile, debating just how big of a bitch she wanted to be. There were so many possible responses she could give to that. But which one would cut the deepest?

"Yeah, I'm sure." Ok, so she couldn't bring herself to stoop to Jessica's level.

Jessica cocked her head slightly to side and seemed to be appraising Bella's appearance.

"You look really good tonight, Bella. You usually look so…plain…I almost didn't recognize you earlier!" She said through thinly veiled fake sweetness.

Bella didn't miss a beat. "You know, I think that's probably the worst underhanded compliment I've ever heard. Was that the best you could come up with?"

Jessica's eyes narrowed and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. "I…I…wasn't trying to…"

Bella's arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows rose. "Uh huh. Sure, Jessica, whatever you say."

Jessica huffed angrily. "You better not be trying to impress a certain somebody with that outfit tonight, Bella."

"And just who would that be?"

"Don't play games with me. You know who."

Bella rolled her eyes and started to turn back to face the front of the line but Jessica's hand shot out to stop her.

"He's mine, Bella. Remember that."

Bella scoffed at that and rolled her eyes again. "He's hardly yours, Jessica. Not even close. You're fucking delusional."

Jessica's eyes narrowed and her face was turning a bright shade of red. "What? And you're not? You think I haven't noticed the way you look at my boyfriend? You want him, don't you? A fucking blind man could see that. You'd better stay away from him. So help me if you try anything, I'll…"

"You'll what?" Bella prompted, eye brows raised high to the ceiling.

Jessica took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter anyways. He would never want to be with someone like you. You wouldn't know the first thing about how to keep him happy. Which is why he's with me and not you. See, Edward likes his girls to actually know what they're doing in bed, not innocent, little virginal girls like you. He's like to have fun. Lots of fun."

Bella gritted her teeth and glared at Jessica. "I'm no virgin, Jessica."

"Uh huh. Sure, Bella. Whatever you say."

"It's alright, Jessica," Bella said with mock reassurance. "I understand. I really do. You're on the defensive now because you know how Edward works. He never stays with one girl for long and now you're wondering when your expiration date is going to hit. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll put you out of your misery soon and kick you to the fucking curb where you belong."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked into a now-vacant bathroom stall. When she re-emerged several minutes later, she was relieved to see that Jessica hadn't come out of her stall yet. She quickly washed her hands and took a quick make-up check in the mirror before high-tailing it out of the bathroom, not wanting to have another run-in with Jessica anytime soon. Once was enough for the night.

When she was in the sanctuary of the dark hallway, she glanced at her phone. She still had ten minutes before the big countdown and decided to linger a little in the hallway to kill some time. She smiled to herself when she saw Jessica stalk out of the bathroom and head back into the crowd. Stupid bitch. If anyone ever deserved an STD, it was her.

Still chuckling to herself, she felt a tug of guilt. Here she was, hiding out in a dark hallway to avoid having to kiss her date. A date that was a really nice guy. She just wasn't that into him. Go figure.

She glanced at her phone again. She only had a few minutes to make up her mind. Should she stay or go? Should she bite the bullet or risk the firing squad? With a heavy sigh, she started making her way out of the hallway. Her guilt won out in the end and she knew she would never feel right about the night if she purposefully avoided her date at midnight.

By the time she was finally back out into the club, she knew the odds of her actually finding all her friends were pretty slim to none. At least she could say she tried. An announcement rang through the whole club that there was only one more minute until midnight. She muttered a string of curses under her breath and began looking frantically around for Emmett's tall frame. If she was going to be able to spot any of them, it would be his burly, unmistakable body.

She felt a hand on her arm and flinched involuntarily. She turned around slowly, praying to God that it wasn't Mike and her eyes widened when she saw Edward standing in front her. He had the horrible lop-sided grin on his face and he leaned in closer to her.

"I was sent to retrieve you before the countdown…but I don't think we're going to make it." He smirked.

She laughed at that and looked over his shoulder for any signs of the rest of their group.

"Where are they? We could try to get back there." She offered anxiously.

"Well, they're all way in the front by the DJ…we're never going to make it."

As if on cue, the DJ began the countdown: "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!"

As shouts and balloons flew around the room, Edward laughed and turned to her. "Told you."

She felt his fingers tighten on her arm and his other hand snaked around her waist.

"Happy New Year, Bella." He whispered into her ear.

Before she even knew what was happening, she wrapped an arm around his neck as he leaned in closer to her. His lips brushed against hers and then he placed a gentle, soft kiss on her lips. She felt his hot breath and couldn't stop herself from leaning into him; in a moment, he leaned back, breaking the contact but his hand was still on her hip. Every part of her that he had touched was burning.

He ran a hand through his hair before looking back at her. "We should find everyone else before they send a search party out for us."

She smiled and nodded, allowing him to lead her through the crowd until they found everyone else. Mike was at her side in a split second and she felt his hand on her hip before she even had a moment to register the concern on his face.

"Where were you? We couldn't find you?" He asked worriedly.

Before she could answer, Alice was in front of her. "Bella! You missed the countdown!"

"No, I didn't. I was here trying to find you." Bella rushed out.

Alice's eyes immediately flew to Edward, who was being accosted by Jessica. She was running her hand through his hair and he was busy trying to push her hands away. Alice rolled her eyes at them before turning back to Bella. A knowing smile crossed her lips and her eyebrows rose suggestively before Jasper pulled her away in his arms.

Bella was becoming very aware of the pressure on her waist now and she turned to meet Mike's expectant eyes.

"I wish you had been here for the countdown, Bella."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. The line for the bathroom was insane and I couldn't find you guys in time."

Mike seemed to accept that and the rest of the night passed by in a blur.

* * *

Around 3:30 or so, everyone was beginning to seriously feel the effects of the night and decided as a group that it was time to call it quits. The only one to protest was Emmett, of course.

"Come on! There's no bar close tonight! How can we pass this up?" He whined.

"Shut up and take me home. You won't be sorry." Rosalie purred in his ear.

His expression immediately changed and he began nodded enthusiastically.

"Right, right. Time to go home. Tired. Awfully tired." He said in bursts as he grabbed Rosalie and started plowing through the crowd to get to the door.

The remaining group members just laughed and shook their heads. Alice elbowed Jasper in the side and jutted her head towards the door. Alice rushed up to Bella to say goodbye and whispered into her ear as she hugged her.

"Be good, Bella."

Bella laughed. "I could say the same to you."

Alice stuck out her tongue out and waved to her as Jasper lead her through the crowd. Bella laughed again at her friend before turning back to Mike, who had another bright grin on her face. She groaned inwardly and tried desperately not to let him see her grimace. He was obviously expecting _something_ tonight and there was no way that was going to happen. Ever.

She glanced over at Edward and Jessica, who seemed to be arguing about something. She decided this was a good time to discuss when their exit strategy and leaned over in their direction a little more to get either one's attention. Catching the tail-end of their argument was just an added bonus.

"Seriously, Edward...why can't I stay over tonight?" Jessica was whining.

"I told you. I just want to get some sleep tonight. Will you just drop it?"

"Well, I don't have to stay the night…" She trailed off to kiss his neck.

He rolled his eyes and grimaced as he tried to pry her off of his neck. "Come on, Jessica. Knock it off. I'm sick of this shit."

Hurt immediately washed over Jessica's features and her arms fell at her side. "Edward…I didn't mean to…you're not mad at me, are you?"

She shot him a pouty look and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. At that moment, he caught sight of Bella and she could hear his sigh of relief from where she stood. He didn't hesitate to leave Jessica to close the distance between, coming to stand between her and Mike.

"So when are we getting out of here?" Edward asked briskly.

"I'm cool with right now." Bella said quickly, eager to get away from Mike.

Mike nodded hurriedly; it was clear he was eager for something as well and there was a hungered look in his eye. Maybe he could go home with Jessica. That would solve all her problems. Bella smile at the fleeting thought but it quickly disappeared when this only caused Mike's smile to widen. He just couldn't take a hint.

By the time they were outside, there were plenty of cabs to be had. Edward ran up to one and opened the door. He gestured for Jessica to get inside, even taking her hand to help her slide in the backseat. Once she was safely tucked inside, he promptly slammed the door and smacked the top of the cab, telling the driver to go, go, go.

Bella couldn't hide her smug smile as her, Mike, and Edward slide into the next cab they could find. Edward slide in first, with Bella in between him and Mike. As they sped away, an awkward silence fell over them and Bella began counting the minutes until she was back in her apartment and warm in her bed.

Mike's hand somehow found its way onto Bella's exposed thigh and she stiffened at his touch. She reflexively shifted herself a little closer to Edward, more so to get further away from Mike than anything. Mike's hand gripped her thigh a little tighter and she grimaced slightly at the pressure. Her legs shifted underneath her in discomfort and she turned her head toward Edward's window, just to put as much space between her and Mike as possible. She couldn't help but notice that Edward's hands were clamped together so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

When Mike's hand moved less than a millimeter north, Edward snapped out: "She doesn't want you to touch her."

Mike jumped back, the offensive hand falling back into his lap. He gaped openly from Bella to Edward, his mouth opening and closing several times before he just sighed and leaned his head against his window.

Bella blew out a deep breath when their apartment came into view. Finally. Edward paid the driver and opened the door, yanking Bella out as quickly as he could and pulled her over to the side, placing himself between her and Mike. His jaw clenched tightly, he shot Mike a death glare as they walked up the steps to the main lobby of their apartment.

"Good night, Mike." He said curtly, steering Bella hurriedly up the steps.

Bella frowned and huffed a little at him as she pulled herself out of her grasp. Just because she hadn't necessarily enjoyed her night with him, didn't mean she wasn't at least going to be polite and say good bye.

Mike was still standing on the sidewalk and as Bella made her way over to him, she glanced over her shoulder to Edward, who was watching her with a dark look on his face.

Bella put on the best smile she could muster and reached out to hug Mike goodbye.

"Well, I had a great time tonight." She said politely.

The bright grin flashed over his face again and he embraced her tightly. "Really? I did too. We have to get together again sometime soon!"

Bella's eyebrows rose in surprise and she smiled awkwardly back at him.

"Uh…sure…maybe." Was the best reply she could get out.

He seemed to accept that and leaned down to kiss her but she quickly turned her head so he could only peck her cheek. That didn't even seem to faze him and as he walked down the street to where his car was parked, he yelled out:

"I had a really great time with you tonight, Bella. Bye!"

She waved to him before turning around to hurry up the steps back to Edward, who was still stationed there waiting for her. When she met his gaze, his eyebrows rose and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Words cannot even describe." He said with a laugh.

"God, you're telling me. I thought he would never leave." Bella replied as she rolled her eyes up to the sky.

He laughed again. "That bad, huh?"

She shrugged as he let opened the door, gesturing for her to enter first.

"You were there. What's to say?"

He nodded as they started up the stairs.

"And," she continued. "I have to say his wandering hands were really getting on my nerves."

He snorted and bit out: "Yeah."

He unlocked the door to their apartment, letting her in first. Another silence passed between them as they threw their coats down and tossed off their shoes. He signed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Well… are you tired at all?" He asked, finally breaking their silence.

She shrugged and shook her head. "Not really. I'm kind of hungry though."

He nodded with a lop-sided grin and turned on his heel to head towards the kitchen. "I think I can fix that. Pizza?"

"Ooo…yeah, that sounds good."

He let out a sigh from the kitchen when he took in the contents of their freezer. "Well, we don't have your favorite. How does supreme sound?"

"That's fine. I can pick off whatever I don't want."

He laughed and shook his head as he turned on the oven. "Well, whatever works."

* * *

Thirty minutes and one supreme pizza later, Bella yawned and leaned back against the couch. She stretched herself out across the couch and cast a glance over to Edward. She smiled softly at the sight. He was slouched down on the couch with his head tilted towards her and his eyes closed. He looked pretty peaceful. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him this way, if ever.

She chuckled when a snore escaped his lips and she yawned again as her tired body began to give out on her. She slide further down the couch until her head was resting comfortably on his shoulder. He shifted at the contact, his cheek brushing against her forehead and she heard him sigh in his sleep. A rush of contentment and relaxation washed over her. She was fast asleep within seconds.

* * *

**Yay!! They finally kissed! I know it was just a little one but it's better than nothing, right? So what'd you think? **

**We'll get Edward's pov on some things in the next chapter...and we're getting closer to what we've all been waiting for. Promise, promise, promise.**

**Please R/R!!!**


	12. Never Think

**Again, thanks for all the fantastic responses! I love it!! Anyways, this chapter is another step in the right direction and I hope you guys like it!**

BLEEDING LOVE

_I should never think  
What's in your heart  
What's in our home  
So I won't_

You'll learn to hate me  
But still call me baby  
Oh love  
So call me by my name

And save your soul  
Save your soul  
Before you're too far gone  
Before nothing can be done

--"Never Think" by Robert Pattinson

Chapter Twelve

For once, he could actually think in peace. It was rare for him to be somewhere, to be in a public place, and have complete silence. It was kind of nice. Of course, he had had to go to library to achieve this. Here he was, alone at an empty desk, with his never before opened psychology textbook plopped open in front of him and he was actually making an attempt to read it. Mark this date on the fucking calendar. He had even turned off his cell phone; he figured if he was going to do this, he was going to do it all the way. Go big or go home. Or something like that.

With a deep sigh, Edward turned the page and concentrated on the words as hard as he could. God, how do people actually do this for extended periods of time? He couldn't remember the last he had tried to study but he now remembered why. Cruel and unusual punishment was the only to describe the torture he was currently putting himself through. With a frustrated huff, he slammed his textbook shut, promising himself he would just take a quick break and then he would get back to business.

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around him. He was completely alone. That was comforting and unsettling at the same time. Glancing at his watch, he blew out a breath and then a string of curses. In his valiant attempt at actually being a good student for once, he had completely forgotten about going to class. Nice. Oh well, might as well keep trying. He had nowhere to be anymore.

He tipped his chair back, extending his arms over his head. He had been in this very same spot for over three hours now and he was starting to get restless. Restlessness meant his mind would wander. And he knew exactly what direction his wandering mind would head, which was not any place he wanted to go right now.

Ever since New Year's, things had been different. Hell, ever since Emmett and Rosalie's wedding, things had been different from him. He felt like something was off, like he was missing a giant piece of himself, some missing piece of a puzzle that he was fumbling in the dark to find. He wondered if he ever would. At least he had a pretty good idea what it was he was missing.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and flipped the textbook back open. He had had enough of his wandering mind. But still, the thoughts clouded his mind over until the words on the page began to blur. And he still couldn't quite shake how it had felt to wake up with her in his arms. He hadn't expected it; in fact, he had practically jumped up from the couch in shock. Luckily, she was apparently a pretty deep sleeper and only shifted closer to him, if that was even possible. When she finally did wake up, she blinked at him with surprise, muttered something about not realizing they had fallen asleep and promptly entangled herself from him and retreated to her room. The loss of her body next to his was excruciating. He had never experienced that feeling before. And yet, he wasn't surprised at all. With Bella, everything was different, everything was new, and that scared the hell out of him.

If he was being completely honest with himself, he knew he wasn't good enough for her. She deserved someone who could actually had a future, someone who could provide for her and make sure she didn't want for anything. She deserved someone who could be the kind of man she needed. He wasn't that guy. As much as he had disliked Newton, he was actually someone that seemed just about perfect for Bella, which was why he hadn't put up much of a fight about her dating him, unlike one certain unmentionable. Mike had everything going from him, good grades, an acceptance into law school…that was until he unleashed his wandering hands on Bella's body. His fists clenched tightly at his side and he wanted to hit something from just thinking about it.

He had thought that maybe, just maybe, if he had gotten into medical school…no, it wasn't worth even thinking about. The blow his ego had taken after that was too great and he had just resigned himself to the idea that he would never be the kind of man his father was, the kind of man Bella deserved.

He never thought it was possible to resent someone as much as he resented his father. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he knew he would never live up to his father's expectations or even his own, for that matter. Then that stupid, fucking golden boy Jacob Black has to swoop in and be the son Carlisle Cullen never had. Jacob had always been a good friend, someone he could rely on, but ever since he had announced to the world a year ago that he wanted to go to medical school, Jacob hadn't wiped that fucking smug little grin off his face.

And then that arrogant little shit actually got in to medical school...and he didn't. Even though Edward instinctively knew that the competitive edge between them was more or less harmless, there were times when he doubted his own self-control. As of late, they seemed to be waging a silent war of constantly trying to one-up the other. When the hell had that even started? He blew out the breath he had been holding as he racked his mind for the moment his nearly life-long friendship with Jacob had morphed into something else.

His weary mind wandered back to another friendship that had severely morphed into something else, something completely unrecognizable to him. He felt like something was unraveling and entirely out of his control. Again, he had no idea how the hell that had happened. Maybe it had always been there. He had a crystal clear memory of the summer before their senior year of high school; it was during a two week vacation with his family and a terrifying thought gripped him out of his sleep one night: that was the longest he had ever been away from her before and he needed, wanted, absolutely had to see her. He had been practically shaking from the shock of it and all he could see were visions of her lips smiling up at him, the depths of her chocolate eyes, the way her hair swung behind her back, the sweet ring of her laugh…everything about her was coming at him in waves and as he reached for his phone to call her, one thought shattered everything: _She'll never want a guy like me_.

The next night, he had grabbed the first girl who threw herself at him and dragged her to the first somewhat private place he could find. He had had mindless, no-strings-attached sex before, hell, he was known for it at their school, but that was the first time he used it to get those visions out of his mind. He found out pretty quickly that his attempts at forgetting her were futile. But that didn't stop him from trying. As girl after girl passed through the revolving door, he was sinking further and further. It didn't make him forget, fuck if it didn't make him think about her even more. About how he wished it was her instead of some random girl. But it would never be her.

He slammed the textbook shut in frustration and ran a hand angrily through his hair. No amount of studying would make up for years of sitting on his ass doing nothing. He roughly pushed the book further away from him, as if to make a point to himself. What was the fucking point? It wasn't like two hours of staring at a textbook would make a difference for anything. It wouldn't change anything. At the end of the day, he was still the same old loser who had nothing going for him except for a two-night a week gig at a tiny club.

He rubbed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. This is why you don't think about these things, he told himself, you're just beating a dead horse. He jumped as a pair of arms slinked around his neck and he felt warm breath next to his ear.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all day!"

"I turned off my phone." He replied curtly.

"You know, having sex in a library has always been a fantasy of mine." Jessica whispered, biting his ear lobe as her arms tightened around him.

He exhaled in exasperation and shook his head. Sure, having a hot tryst in a library was most definitely a fantasy of his too, but he wasn't in any mood to indulge in that today. Especially not with her. She was quickly getting on his last nerve. If she didn't serve her purpose so well, he would have absolutely zero use for her.

"Knock it off, Jessica. I'm trying to study."

Jessica laughed in disbelief. "You never study, baby."

"Yeah, why do you think I'm here?" He snapped back.

Her grip on him loosened and she tilted her head back to get a look at his face. "Sorry…is everything ok? Are you still mad about New Year's?"

He sighed again and ran a hand absent-mindedly through his hair. "Yeah…it's fine. I was just about to leave anyway. See you later."

He shoved his book into his backpack and shot up from his chair, almost knocking Jessica off balance as he brushed past her. He could feel her eyes on him as he held himself from sprinting away from her.

"Ok, Eddie…see you on Thursday!" She called after him.

He didn't even acknowledge that.

* * *

He jogged lightly up the stairs to their apartment, whistling to himself. All things considered, he was actually pretty proud of himself. While it hadn't been the most productive study session, it was a study session nonetheless. One big step forward. And it was better than nothing, even if he had accidentally skipped class because of it.

He fumbled with his keys a little as he tried to get the door open. When he was finally inside the warm of his apartment, he froze at what he saw. There, sitting at the kitchen table with her head in her hands, was Bella. She was sobbing. His heart lurched at the sight and his backpack fell to the ground with a loud thud. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She lifted her tear-stained face to his and he felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. He was desperate to do whatever it took to make her feel better, to take away whatever pain she was feeling…he would do whatever she asked.

In a split second, he was at her side and leaning over her, his hand resting comfortingly on her arm.

"What's wrong, Bella? Why are…why are you crying?" He said, barely audibly.

She bit her lip and it was he could do to not gather her into his arms.

"You should sit down." She whispered.

He swallowed and pushed down the panic that was quickly enveloping him. He hadn't seen her like this since her mother…his breath was getting shorter now and he gripped his thighs in anticipation. This was bad. This was really bad.

Bella took a shaky breath and choked out: "Edward…it's your dad…he had a heart attack this morning. I'm sorry…we've been trying to get a hold of you all day…everyone's at the hospital right now…"

She trailed off but he didn't really notice. Everything had gone completely numb. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He felt like he was going to throw up. He started shaking his head in disbelief but the look in her eyes was begging him. He let out a strangled breath and ran a trembling hand through his hair.

She placed a hand on his arm but he didn't feel it.

"Is he…is he?" He couldn't bring himself to even finish the question because he was dreading the answer.

Bella nodded slowly and he exhaled with relief. "I just talked to your mom ten minutes ago and she said that he was stable."

He stared blankly at her as her words registered. He was trying so hard to understand, to let it all sink in but his head was pounding and he had to force himself to take breath after breath.

"Edward," she whispered. "We need to go to the hospital. Come on, I'll drive you."

He nodded but his mind was screaming at him. No…no…no…how could this have happened? His father was supposed to be indestructible and all-powerful, not have a fucking heart attack. This didn't make any sense. This couldn't have happened.

Before he even realized what was happening, Bella was leading him out the door and down the stairs he had just jogged up moments ago without a care in the world, before everything had come crashing down on him.

She was tugging on his hand to keep up with her and he had no idea how he was able to put one foot in front of the other. She opened the car door for him and lightly pushed his head down to help him get into the car. He didn't even know how they got to the hospital. He just stared blankly ahead of him. He was on auto-pilot now.

As if his limbs had a mind of their own, his arm reached out and grasped for Bella's hand. When he came in contact with her warm skin, he felt a wave of calm wash over him. She squeezed his hand tightly and he faintly recognized the look of reassurance on her face out of the corner of his eye. He gripped her hand tighter, holding on now for dear life.

* * *

By the time they reached the hospital, Bella was dangerously close to having a panic attack. Edward looked near-catatonic and that scared the hell out of her. The only thing she could do was get him inside the hospital as soon as she could. He didn't move. He didn't speak. It was like he had just shut off completely right before her eyes. He was gripping her hand tightly and she reflexively gave his hand a comforting squeeze. What else could she do for him?

After she parked the car, she slammed the door behind her and sprinted to the passenger side. She opened the door and tugged on his arm to get him moving.

"Come on, Edward, we're here." She pleaded with him.

He nodded slowly, still not looking at her but allowed her to help him out of the car and lead him into the hospital. He trailed behind her and she had to give his arm a forceful tug to shake him out of his stupor enough to get him inside.

It didn't take them long to find the waiting area in the emergency room. Her eyes searched frantically for her family and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Esme rushing towards them.

With tears streaming down her face, Esme pulled her son into her arms. Bella let go of Edward's arm so he could collapse into his mother's arms. He buried his face into her shoulder and clung to her with all the strength he had left.

"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered into his ear and Bella saw him tighten his hold on his mother.

"How is he?" Edward said through a haggard breath.

"He's stable but we don't know anything for sure yet. The doctors are running some tests right now but they said we'll be able to see him as soon as they're finished." Esme whispered.

He nodded and allowed her to lead him to a nearby chair, which he numbly fell into. Esme turned back to Bella and embraced her hurriedly.

"Thank you for getting him to us, Bella. I love you so much." Esme breathed into her ear.

Bella did her best to muster a reassuring smile, to be strong for the woman who was like a second mother to her and she walked past her to join the rest of the family in the waiting room. Her heart sank at what she saw: Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap, with her head buried in his chest as he soothingly rubbed her back; Emmett had his head on Rosalie's shoulder, his face a mix of anguish and exhaustion, as Rosalie whispered softly in his ear; and Edward, she almost couldn't look at him. He had sunken low in his chair, his legs sprawled out in front of him and his eyes were frozen to the floor. But it was his face that made her want to gather him in her arms and rock him until the pain went away. She could tell he was doing everything he could to keep the tears at bay. She had never seen that look on his face before; the distraught helplessness was almost too much to bear.

With a heavy sigh, she walked the few feet between them and sat down in the chair next to him. In a flash, his hand shot out and gripped hers tightly. She turned to him and sent him a comforting smile but his eyes were still focused on the floor. Every few minutes, he would squeeze her hand tighter and she would return it with a weak smile. She knew she needed to be strong for him and for Esme but the searing pain in her heart was making it awfully difficult.

As she looked around the room, she had the sudden urge to call Charlie. Someone would need to call him anyway to tell him that one of his best friends was in the hospital and it might as well be her. She started to get up but the force of Edward's hand stopped her. His grip tightened and his eyes finally shot up to hers as if to say: _please don't leave me…stay with me._ Her heart broke yet again and a knot formed in her stomach as she leaned over him.

"I'll be right back, I promise. I just need to call Charlie." She whispered.

He seemed to accept that and released her hand as she stood. She glanced behind her as she walked down the hall to make sure he was alright but he still hadn't moved. She sighed again while she dialed Charlie, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she had called him.

"Dad?" Bella whispered when Charlie answered.

"Bella?" He whispered back, the surprise evident in his voice. "What's wrong?"

She almost laughed. Of course he automatically guess that something was wrong, even though he was right about that, why else would she be calling him?

"Dad…I was just calling to tell you that Carlisle…he had a heart attack this morning…"

She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew he was struggling for words.

"Is he…?"

"Esme said that he's stable and we're waiting for some test results now."

"Oh…alright. Should I come down there?"

"I don't know that it would make much of a difference right now...the doctors aren't letting anyone see him yet."

She could almost see him nodding into the phone.

"Alright, alright. Will you call me when you know more?"

"Of course I will, Dad."

There was a short pause as if he was trying to decide what to say to her.

"Thanks for calling, Bella."

"Sure…hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say that…well…if I could take back the last six months, I would."

Charlie sighed heavily. "Bella, you don't have anything to be sorry about."

"Yes I do."

He sighed again, this time it was a little shakier. "Listen, Bella, we don't have to do this now. Go back with everyone else and give Esme my best, ok?"

She smiled weakly and nodded into the phone. "I will, Dad."

With a deep, exhausted sigh, she snapped her phone shut and started heading back to the waiting room. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned that everyone was still in the exact same position they were in before she left. She took her seat next to Edward and before she was even settled in her seat, his hand was firmly entangled with hers. For the first time since they arrived at the hospital, he turned to her and really looked at her. She smiled faintly down at him and she saw something akin to gratitude flicker across his face. Then his eyes lowered back down to the floor, where they stayed until a doctor called for them.

In a flash, the entire family was on their feet. Emmett had his arms wrapped around both Esme and Rosalie, Alice was clinging to Jasper, and Edward's hand was firmly clasped with Bella's as they waited for the news.

The doctor smiled reassuringly to them and the mood in the air seemed to change immediately at that.

"Well, he doesn't need surgery and we expect him to make a full recovery." The doctor explained.

A loud sigh of relief erupted from each of them.

"Can we see him?" Esme asked urgently.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, of course."

They took off, brushing past the doctor, and rushed to the room he directed them to. In a split second, they were walking through the door to see Carlisle resting peacefully in his bed.

"Well, well, well, they finally let you guys barge in here." He smiled.

Alice sprinted over to him and hugged his neck tightly. "Daddy! I'm so glad you're going to be alright…"

He kissed her forehead and brushed the hair from her face. "I know, sweetheart."

Alice stepped away so Esme could sweep in and embrace her husband. They kissed briefly and then Esme stepped away so Rosalie and Emmett could hug Carlisle.

Edward lingered in the back, watching everyone carefully and Bella could tell that he felt out of place during this intimate family moment. His hand was gripping hers tightly with her other hand resting supportively on his forearm. He was biting his lip as if he was unsure of what to say or do. Esme was suddenly at his side and led him to Carlisle's bedside, with Bella following closely behind.

Carlisle's expression immediately changed when he caught sight of Edward and he shifted in his bed. Bella reached out with her free hand and wrapped her arm around his neck to give him a quick, one-armed hug. Carlisle smiled warmly to her and when she leaned back, his attention was clearly on Edward.

"Would you guys mind if you gave Edward and me a few minutes?" Carlisle asked quietly.

Esme smiled brightly and didn't hesitate to shoo everyone else from the room.

Bella leaned into Edward, whispering, "Are you going to be ok?"

For the first time that day, she saw him smile. He nodded slightly to her and gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting it go.

* * *

Edward watched her leave the room and waited to turn back to his father until he heard the door click softly behind her. When he finally did turn back, he met his father's weary eyes.

Carlisle smiled faintly back at him and gestured for him to come closer.

"How are you, son?"

Edward looked up in surprise. "I think I should be asking you that."

Carlisle chuckled. "Surprisingly, I don't feel like I just had a heart attack. They told me I'll be able to go home in a few days. I tried finagling with them to get out sooner but apparently, it doesn't matter if you're a resident here or not, rules are rules."

Edward grinned at that, glad to see that his father didn't seem much different. He hadn't known what to expect but he definitely wasn't expecting his father to be back to normal so quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he moved closer to the bed and a knot formed in his stomach when he saw the serious expression on his father's features.

"Edward, I know things haven't been good between us the last few months and I know I've said and done things that I can't ever take back but…with everything that happened today…"

As he trailed off, Edward shifted his feet, his jaw clenching tightly because he knew exactly what his father had meant to say. If his father had died, and it could have happened today, he wasn't happy with the way things were left between them. He knew, with his whole soul, that if his father had died, he would have never been able to live with himself. And now, all the things he had hated his father for no longer made any sense. He knew, instinctively, that all those things had really been things he hated about himself, not his father…he was a resentful, ungrateful asshole.

"Dad?" Edward asked quietly. Carlise's eyes immediately shot up to met the face of his son.

"Yes, son?"

Edward hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the best way to say what he needed to express. This was the moment that everything would change between them and he needed it to be right.

"Do you think that…that we could just forget the last couple of months ever happened?"

Carlisle exhaled softly and a warm smile crossed his face. "I'd like that."

Edward nodded to him and reached his hand out to his father. Carlisle took it and grasped it tightly with both hands. There was no need for any other words between them. Although it hadn't come out exactly the way he had wanted, he knew his father understood what he meant. He was tired of holding grudges and taking his problems out on everyone else. Life was too short for that immature bullshit. And it was time he grew up.

Carlisle took a deep breath and let it out forcefully, looking meaningfully at his son.

"You know, Edward, I never thought that the whole life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment in a near death experience was true. But trust me, it most definitely is. I saw a lot of things, all the moments in my life that have mattered, and I realized that there isn't a whole lot that I can say I regret. No deep-seeded longings of things I've never done, places I've never seen, things I've never said…other than what has to do with our relationship that is…but the point is, I want that for you as well, son. You can't live your life holding things back and being afraid all the time. You have to take chances, Edward, otherwise, someday…when you're older…you'll wish you had done things differently."

Edward swallowed hard and his stomach twisted in knots. He just nodded at his father because he had no idea how to respond.

Carlisle smiled softly as he continued. "I've seen the way you look at her, Edward and I've seen the way she looks at you."

Edward's eyes shot up at that and his brow furrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Dad."

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head. "Yes you do."

Edward took in a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Is it really that obvious?"

Carlisle smiled knowingly at his son. "It has been for a while."

Edward swallowed again and looked away, biting his lip. "Well, I doubt that's ever going to happen so…"

His father just laughed again. "Well, it's not going to if you don't do anything about it. One of these days, some guy is going to come along and snap her right up because you've been sitting here for how many years doing nothing."

He shook his head, finally letting himself look at his father again. "Maybe. But that would probably be for the best anyway."

Carlisle's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why is that?"

He didn't even hesitate. "She deserves better than me."

Carlisle sent him a long, meaningful, almost pitying stare before finally responding to him. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Edward. Just because you don't think you're good enough for her doesn't mean that you're not. Besides, who are you to say what's best for her and what isn't? Last I checked, she's an adult who can make her own choices."

"You're right. But that doesn't change anything."

"It doesn't if she doesn't know you could be that choice. If she doesn't know you're an option for her, how can she choose you?"

Edward huffed at that and shifted uncomfortably. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Carlisle smiled brightly and bit his lip. "Sure, son, whatever you say."

* * *

**So at least now Edward's finally come to terms with some things, now we just need to wait for Bella. Sorry this chapter was a little bit shorter than some of the previous ones but I didn't want it to get too repetitive. I know most of you were probably expecting more development with Edward and Bella's relationship, and I think that, indirectly, this chapter was all about that. I also think they needed to work through some of their own personal issues before either of them were in a place to move further. There's definitely going to be some major drama and fireworks in the next chapter. **

**Anyways, I hope you liked it and please R/R!! I love seeing my inbox full with your reviews!!!**


	13. Love is a Battlefield

**So, again thank you to everyone who reviewed and put this story on alert! I love you all!! **

**I also need to say a huge thank you to brighteyes87 for helping me get all those pesky wrinkles out of this story and finally figuring out an ending. You are amazing, girl! And if you ever need a beta for your story, I would be more than happy to return the favor for you!**

**Also, I've been asked how everyone in this story can go out every night and be in college at the same time but if you remember back to the first chapter, I mention that the boys only play at the club on Thursdays and Fridays (so going out on Thursdays and Fridays really isn't all that bad, in my opinion at least). So there's the explanation for that.**

**One final thing before we move on: the song Bella and Edward sing in this chapter is "Umbrella" but it's Taylor Swift's version, in case you were wondering when you get to that point. I know you can find it on iTunes for sure...so find it and hit repeat a few times during that part...just a suggestion because it makes the moment a little bit better. **

**Anyways, on with the fireworks already...hahaha!**

BLEEDING LOVE

_You're beggin' me to go, you're makin' me stay  
Why do you hurt me so bad?  
It would help me to know  
Do I stand in your way, or am I the best thing you've had?  
Believe me, believe me, I can't tell you why  
But I'm trapped by your love, and I'm chained to your side_

We are young, heartache to heartache we stand  
No promises, no demands  
Love Is A Battlefield  
We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong  
Searchin' our hearts for so long, both of us knowing  
Love Is A Battlefield

We're losing control  
Will you turn me away or touch me deep inside?  
And before this gets old, will it still feel the same?  
There's no way this will die  
But if we get much closer, I could lose control  
And if your heart surrenders, you'll need me to hold

Chapter Thirteen

"Come on, Bella," Mike pleaded desperately. "Why can't I see you tonight?"

It took all of her strength to not release the frustrated sigh that threatened to slip. "I already told you. I just want to hang out with my friends tonight. That's it."

"But what if I came with some of my friends too?"

Bella closed her eyes and gripped her phone a little tighter. "Tonight I'm going to be with my friends. You can do whatever you want."

"So I can come too?" His voice was so hopeful, so eager and she didn't have it in her to hurt his feelings, as hard as it was for her.

"I never said you could or couldn't."

"Do you want me to?"

God, he was absolutely insufferable. Why didn't he just get it? She wasn't exactly projecting interest in seeing him again but she had been stupid enough to give him hope that he could see her again on New Year's. Maybe if Edward hadn't been lingering over her shoulder, she would have been able to think more clearly. Still, it was her own fault and now she had to deal with it. Crap.

"I don't know, Mike," She said finally. "I just want to hang out with my friends tonight and have a good time. If you come with your friends, I'm not going to promise you anything."

"Ok! Alright…well, maybe I'll see you later tonight then." He was way too eager for his own good.

She fought the urge to hit herself in the head with her phone in frustration. "Uh…sure, bye."

As soon as her phone snapped shut, she threw it on the ground, grabbed the nearest pillow from the couch and screamed into it. Why was he such an idiot? Why was she such an idiot? Why couldn't she just tell him to stay the hell away from her and that the thought of him coming anywhere near her made her sick to her stomach. She needed to grow a backbone. And fast.

She heard a chuckle behind her and she didn't even need to look when she launched the pillow at him.

"Shut it, Jake!"

"Oh come on, Bells. I can't help it if it's just a little bit funny listening you talk to ladies man number one on the phone. That guy needs his head examined." He said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well you'll need your head examined too when I get done with you if you keep it up!" She threatened.

Jacob pretended to shudder and just ended up laughing again. "Empty threat!"

Just as Bella was preparing to throw herself over the couch to attack, Edward chose that moment to saunter in from his bedroom.

"Whoa…what's going on in here?" Edward questioned, his hands up in the air, ready to play referee.

Jacob sent him a lop-sided smirk. "I guess you missed Bella's little conversation with Mikey-boy just now."

Edward's brow furrowed and he cocked his head in Bella's direction with curious question in his eyes. "I thought you didn't like him."

Bella sighed in exasperation and threw a hand in the air. "I don't. But the fucker won't leave me alone!"

Now Edward's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you mean he won't leave you alone?"

"I keep trying to tell him that I don't want to see him and I'm trying to come up with all these excuses but he won't listen to me. And somehow, he invited himself to the club tonight with his friends even though I told him repeatedly that I didn't want him to go."

"Actually, Bells," Jacob cut in. "You didn't actually tell him you didn't want him to go."

"Shut your face, Jake!" Bella snarled at him. "Nobody asked you!"

Jacob's hand immediately shot up in defense. "Ok, ok…geez, simmer down, Bells. I was just trying to make the point that you need to be more direct with the guy. If you don't want to see him, just tell him that and if he still doesn't listen, then you have something to angry about."

Edward was immediately nodding his head at that. His face was a hard mask of something Bella couldn't quite put her finger on.

"You'll tell me if he doesn't leave you alone, right?" Edward whispered to her.

Bella frowned and paused for a moment before nodding to him. This exchange was not lost on Jacob, who was now looking worriedly between the two of them.

"What did I miss?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest expectantly.

Edward ran a hand through his hair before casting a glance in Jacob's direction. "Mike had his hands all over her in the cab on New Year's. I don't trust the guy at all."

Now Jacob understood. His face immediately darkened at this new information and his jaw clenched tightly in suppressed anger.

"If he shows up tonight, I'll keep a close eye on him, Bella." Jacob promised.

Edward's head turned sharply in Jacob's direction. "He's coming to the club tonight?"

Bella grimaced and nodded meekly as she shoved her hands in her pockets sheepishly. Edward exhaled angrily as soon as he saw her response.

"Nice, Bella. You couldn't just tell him you're not interested? And you really had to tell him where you were going to be tonight? You couldn't just say you had other plans and leave it at that?" He demanded angrily.

"I've tried to but he just doesn't get it. I don't know…I guess I don't want to hurt his feelings…it's not like he's a bad guy or anything." Bella offered.

Edward scoffed at that. "Not a bad guy, huh? He was practically molesting you in the cab that night…but that's not enough to make him a bad guy? And you're still worried about hurting his feelings when he obviously doesn't give a shit about yours?"

Bella shook her head and threw her hands in the air. "You know what? I don't feel like arguing with you today. Alice and Rose are going to be here in an hour and I still have to get ready. See you later."

With that, she walked around the couch and headed straight into her room without making eye contact with either of the boys still standing in the living room. As soon as they heard her door shut behind her, Edward just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"That girl….that girl is going to be the death of me." He muttered under his breath as he promptly turned on his heel and shut himself up in his room until it was time to head to the club, leaving Jacob standing in the living room, wondering what the hell just happened.

* * *

The club was pounding with life like as Rosalie, Alice, and Bella hurried inside. They hadn't had to wait long this time; once the bouncer caught sight of them, he promptly waved them over and let them in ahead of everyone else in line.

"Man, it's good to know the band, isn't it?" Alice chirped when they were finally inside.

"Well, that's one of the perks." Rosalie responded slyly.

Bella grimaced painfully at that comment and shook her head.

"Oh God," she groaned. "You couldn't have waited until you at least got up front like you usually do?"

Rosalie shrugged. "What can I say? I'm still technically a newly-wed, you know."

"Whatever."

Alice calmly stepped in between them, linking her arms with theirs.

"So Bella," she began good-naturedly. "Do you think he's going to have the balls to actually show tonight?"

Bella groaned again, her head falling backwards. "God, I hope not."

"What kind of an idiot would actually come tonight when you made it clear you're going to be with us?" Rosalie asked seriously.

"I don't know," Bella replied grudgingly. "But for all our sakes, I hope he figures it out and stays far away tonight."

By that time, they had already weaved their way in and around the throngs of people and were looking for a seat at the bar. Jacob waved them over and began making their drinks. He slid the drinks over to them and nodded his greetings before turning back to the other people who were barking drink orders to him.

"Here's to Mike," Alice toasted over the music. "May he never show."

"I'll drink to that." Bella muttered as she took a sip of her drink.

She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes when she realized that Rosalie was already pushing her way to the front of the crowd. She sure wasn't going to waste any time, that was for sure. Bella turned her attention to the boys on stage, who were currently playing "Like a Stone" by Chris Cornell. Just as she was letting herself get lost in the music, she heard a noise behind her that made her almost knock over her drink.

"Bella!" Jessica screeched. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

Bella turned around to face her, a frown etched on her face. "Why is that?"

Jessica just shrugged and waved Jacob over so she could order herself a drink. "Oh I don't know…just haven't seen you around here in awhile. I was hoping you had taken my advice but it looks like you haven't."

Alice frowned and put her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about, Jessica?"

Jessica flashed Alice a sweet smile. "I just gave Bella some friendly advice, that's all."

Alice's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she opened her mouth to speak but Bella quickly stepped in to stop her.

"It's not important, Alice. Just ignore her."

Jessica huffed next to them and much to Alice and Bella's dismay, she stayed put, probably just to make them uncomfortable.

When Edward's voice came floating over the speakers, Bella had never been more thankful.

"Well, everyone, it's that time of the night for Bella Swan to make her appearance up here." He was saying as the crowd erupted in applause at the announcement of her name.

Bella sent Alice an apologetic look, sorry to have to leave her alone with the devil incarnate. Alice just shrugged and shooed her away, pushing her towards the stage. Bella shot Jessica a warning look as she walked away to make sure she knew that if she did or said anything to upset Alice, there would be hell to pay. If Jessica understood, she didn't show it.

Bella jumped up on stage and waited expectantly for him to hand over the microphone and leave. Instead, he pulled up another stool and sat down with his guitar.

"We're going to try something a little different tonight. So this time, we're going to let Emmett and Jasper take a break for once." He said into the microphone.

Bella's brow furrowed in confusion as she watched Emmett and Jasper jump down from the stage and practically sprint over to the bar. She turned back to Edward when he began strumming the opening chords of a song.

"Come on, Bella," he smiled. "You know this one, don't you?"

She tilted her head towards him as she tried to pick up the melody and a bright smile crossed her face when she finally recognized the tune. She chuckled a little at his choice of song and felt slightly bewildered that he had remembered that this was her favorite version of one of her favorite songs. With a shaky breath, she began to sing the opening lyrics:

"_You had my heart  
And we'll never be worlds apart  
Maybe in magazines  
But you'll still be my star  
Baby cause in the dark  
You can't see shiny cars  
And that's when you need me there  
With you I'll always share  
Because_

When the sun shine,  
we shine together  
Told you I'll be here forever  
Said I'll always be your friend  
Took an oath I'm a stick it out till the end  
Now that it's raining more than ever  
Know that we'll still have each other  
You can stand under my umbrella  
You can stand under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)"

Although Edward's eyes kept darting between her and his guitar, Bella used all of her willpower to not look him in the eye for fear she would lose focus and completely screw up the song. They had never, ever done this before and the intimacy of the moment between them was nearly making her hair stand on end. The second she looked into his eyes, she knew she would come undone. So instead, she focused on the words and the melody: 

"These fancy things, will  
never come in between  
You're part of my entity,  
here for infinity  
When the world has took it's part  
When the world has dealt it's cards  
If your hand is hard, together  
we'll mend your heart.  
Because-

When the sun shine,  
we shine together  
Told you I'll be here forever  
Said I'll always be a friend  
Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end  
Now that it's raining more than ever  
Know that we'll still have each other  
You can stand under my umbrella"

At that point in the song, her resolve broke and she found herself looking directly at Edward, whose eyes were penetrating deeply into her. She almost gasped at the sight. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen this expression before. Whether it was the combination of the intimacy of the song and the moment or something she couldn't quite put her finger on, he had never appeared so incredibly appealing to her before. The sight of him with perched on the stool, his fingers moving expertly over the strings of his guitar, with that damn beanie covering his hair made her breath hitch in her throat. She swallowed painfully and did her best to keep her focus on the task at hand.

"_You can stand under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh)  
Under my umbrella  
(Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)" _

When Edward finished playing the last chord of the song, the crowd erupted into a mass of applause and whistling.

"That went over well," Edward whispered, leaning down to her. "We'll have to do that more often."

The only response Bella could muster was a nod. She was too shaken by what she had just experienced and wasn't sure if she would even be able to form coherent words at the moment. She smiled weakly to Edward before jumping down from the stage as Emmett and Jasper brushed past her to get back on stage. Within moments, they had already started on the next song, "Time After Time" by Quietdrive.

As she pushed through the crowd to find Alice, she noticed a blonde head coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't even have time to groan because he was right next to her before she had a chance to pretend she hadn't seen him.

"Bella!" Mike exclaimed excitedly. "That was fantastic! I didn't know you could sing like that!"

He was leaning dangerously close to her and she reflexively backed away from him to give herself some space, even though the crowded club was making that extremely difficult. Instead of responding to his compliment verbally, she just nodded her head and kept her eyes focused on Alice, who was waving to her with a horrified look on her face.

When Mike took a step to follow her, Bella immediately snapped out of it and turned sharply to face him.

"I'm going to go back by Alice now, Mike. I'll see you later."

She didn't even wait for his response and continued to push her way over to Alice. When she was finally there, Alice threw her arms around her.

"Bella! You were so great up there…I can't believe you guys haven't done that before…that was completely awesome!" Alice chirped in her ear.

Bella just shrugged it off, not wanting to make a bigger deal out of it than it needed to be and she didn't really feel like dwelling on it any more than necessary. Despite that, she had a feeling she wasn't going to be getting a lot of sleep that night. There were certain thoughts that just weren't going to allow it.

Somehow, the rest of the night passed by mostly uneventfully. Mike, despite several awkward attempts through text messages, kept his distance and Jessica, despite throwing daggers in her direction every once and awhile, kept hers as well. For that, Bella was almost disappointed.

As soon as Edward announced last call for the night, Bella made a beeline for the bathroom. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait and sprinted into one of the stalls. When she left the stall, she came face to face with Jessica, almost smacking right into her.

"Excuse me, Jessica." Bella said icily as she brushed past her to get to the sink. She felt Jessica close on her heels, standing directly behind her as she washed her hands. When she finally turned around, her face was only inches away from Jessica, whose eyes were ablaze with fury.

"What do you want, Jessica?" Bella bit out.

"I wanted you to know I saw that little show you put on up there with my boyfriend. You stay the hell away from him." Jessica spat out, jabbing a finger into Bella's chest.

"Don't touch me." Bella retorted angrily and tried to push past her but Jessica's hand shot out and gripped her arm to hold her back.

"I know what you're trying to do, Bella, but it's not going to work. He'll never want you. No matter how much you bat your eyelashes at him, he will never, ever want you. You got that?"

Bella laughed right in her face and jerked herself free of Jessica's grip.

"I wasn't trying to do anything. You know, I would say you're acting like a jealous girlfriend, but you're not exactly his girlfriend, are you?"

Jessica's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course, I'm his girlfriend."

Bella's eyebrows rose at that. "What makes you think that? Oh right because he's had sex with you more than once. Well, I hate to break it to you but that doesn't make him your boyfriend. Has he ever taken you to dinner or even a movie? He hasn't, right? Maybe that's because he doesn't want to be seen in public with a skank like you. Hell, from what I've seen, he can hardly look at you in public."

"Shut up, bitch!" Jessica screamed, grabbing a fistful of Bella's hair and yanking with all her strength. Bella struggled against her grasp, backhanding her as she pulled herself free.

Jessica rubbed the new sore spot with one hand, fuming red. Bella didn't hesitate to take that opportunity to leave, with Jessica right behind her.

"You're just jealous because he won't even touch you." Jessica spat out as they walked down the hallway. "You're nothing. You're not even pretty and the only time I've ever even seen you look halfway decent was on New Year's and that was just because Edward's sister took pity on you. You looked so desperate when you were on stage tonight; I had a really hard time not laughing through your whole song it was so pathetic."

"If anyone in this room is desperate, it's you." Bella replied over her shoulder coldly.

Then all hell broke loose.

Just as Bella was making her way back into the club, her head was yanked backwards. She let out a yelp of pain and clawed at Jessica's hands to break free but she had an ironclad grip on Bella's hair. She winded up and starting slapping aimlessly at Jessica's face behind her, finally forcing herself loose from Jessica's grip. Bella whirled around and she stared Jessica down, her chest heaving wildly. In a split second, Jessica's hand shot out to grab the first drink she saw and splashed it square into Bella's face.

In a flash, Edward was between them, holding out his arms to keep some distance between the two girls.

"What the hell is going on?" He barked out.

Bella didn't answer, instead lunging around Edward to grab at Jessica, who was being held back by Edward's other arm. Edward wrapped his free hand around Bella's waist, keeping her locked up against him so she couldn't move. Bella struggled against his grip and sprung at Jessica again, this time getting a handful of her hair in the process.

"Bella, knock it off…let go of her, Bella!" Edward ordered gruffly.

Edward finally hand to pry Jessica's hair out of Bella's grasp and pushed them both further away from each other, placing himself directly in between them yet again, effectively in the line of fire.

"You keep your fucking slut away from me!" Bella snarled, pointing a finger at him.

Jessica charged at Bella again, only stopped by Edward's outstretched hand between them.

"Tell her," Jessica sneered. "Tell her she's a piece of shit. Tell her what you really think of her!"

Jessica was now looking up at Edward expectantly, waiting for him to come to her rescue and defend her. Instead, her eyes grew wide when she saw his jaw clench angrily. His eyes turned dark and there was a glimmer of intense hatred in them that made her take a step back in fear.

"Get the hell out here, Jessica!" He growled violently. "We're done…if I never see you again it'll be too fucking soon."

Jessica gaped up at him in shock, her mouth opening and closing at an alarming rate.

"What? Baby…you can't mean that. You're just upset right now but let's go back to my place so we can figure this out."

She was clinging to him now and tried to wrap an arm around his neck but he just shrugged her off of him. He roughly pushed her away and jerked his head towards the door.

"I meant what I said." He replied menacingly. "Get out or I'll throw you out."

One look at Edward's face sent her reeling backwards and fleeing towards the door.

Edward turned back to a still fuming Bella. "You alright?"

Her head snapped up to meet his eyes. "What do you think?"

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair before taking her gently by the elbow.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He said softly as he started to steer her towards the door.

He cast a weary glance to Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie, who had been watched the whole previous exchange with Jessica with horror on their faces. He nodded curtly to Jacob, signaling to him that he would take care of Bella and get her home safe. As he turned back to Bella, he could have sworn he heard Alice whisper: "You go, girl!"

Bella was silent as they waited for a cab to show up. Edward cursed Jessica again while they waited, she must have taken the last one. She was always causing him headaches and he was beyond relieved that he had finally given her the boot. What she had done was inexcusable but it had given him exactly the excuse he needed to get rid of her.

Even as the cab turned the corner to their street, Bella still hadn't made a sound. When they pulled up in front of their apartment, Edward threw some bills at the driver and helped Bella out of the cab. She jerked herself free from his grip and promptly jumped up the steps. He raced up behind her and picked up her keys when they slipped out of her shaking hands.

"Are you alright, Bella?" He asked cautiously as he opened the door for her.

She shot him a furious look. "Oh yeah. I'm just fine considering the fact that I was just in the middle of a public smackdown with your whore."

He winced at her outburst and decided it was best if he didn't respond. He followed her up the steps to their front door in silence and opened the door with her keys. She pushed past him, threw her purse on the table, and tossed her heels angrily across the room one by one. Her chest was heaving wildly and her fists were balled tightly at her side.

He took a careful step towards her and she flinched when she felt his hand graze her arm.

"Are you alright, Bella?" He asked for the third time that night.

Bella whirled around to face him. "You don't even know what she said to me…I've…I've never wanted to tear anyone apart more in my entire life."

He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You know she's just a stupid girl. She probably didn't understand half of what she said anyways. Why did you let her get to you?"

The moment the words left his mouth he knew he was in trouble. The color drained from her face, her eyes went wide first, and then they narrowed into dangerous slits.

"Why did you let _her_ get to _you_?" She accused, her voice dripping with venom.

Before Edward could even defend himself, she was charging at him now and he braced himself for the inevitable verbal beating he was about to endure.

"You know what?" She spat out. "I expected that from her, I really did. Because contrary to what she said, _she_ is nothing. She's the one who's ugly, inside and out. I don't think she has a good bone in her. If she does, it's probably the size of an ant or something. And I know that all the awful things she said to me tonight and on New Year's were just because she was scared of losing you. Because she actually has feelings for you and wants to be with you. As much as I hate her, I understand why she acts the way she does. But you…you're worse than her. You were using her for sex and nothing more and here she was, fighting for you with everything she had. But that doesn't change the fact that she's still trash and you put your dick in that. It finally hit me tonight that you've become almost unrecognizable to me. You are a complete asshole and completely not worth that girl on girl smackdown that just happened. The guy we were fighting over is a selfish prick that just relies on his good looks to get him through life and I am done with all of this. I'm done with it! I fucking hate this!"

She tried to push past him but he grabbed her elbow to stop her. She tried to struggle out of his grasp but his grip on her only tightened.

"Bella…" He whispered. "You don't mean that."

She kept jerking against his grip until he finally let it go and she fell a few steps backward from the loss of the pressure.

"Yes, I do." She whispered back harshly. "I don't even know you anymore. You don't care about anyone but yourself and I don't know why it took me this long to finally realize it. I've looked past it before because we've been friends for so long but I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm not going to sit by and watch this fucking train wreck for another minute."

She starting walking towards her room and he stepped in front of her to block her path.

He held his hands up defensively. "Bella, you're right. You're completely right. I am an asshole…but I'm trying to change…I'm trying to be different…hell, the day my dad had his heart attack I was in the library studying and that's why no one could get a hold of me. I'm trying to be better…I hadn't even seen Jessica…in that way…for awhile and I've been trying to get rid of her."

Bella scoffed at that. "Yeah, just like you do with all your other girls. One huge revolving door, that's all it is. The way you treat women…it's fucking revolting. It makes me physically sick."

Edward ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Bella, I…"

Bella held up a hand. "Don't even…there's nothing you can say that's going to change my mind. I'm moving out tomorrow. I don't care if I have to move back home or stay in a fucking hotel but the last place I want to be is here in this apartment with you."

She pushed past him and this time, he didn't try to stop her. She was halfway to her bedroom door before he finally snapped out of it and took off after her. But the door slammed right in his face. He raised his fist to pound on her door but with a frustrated sigh, it fell flat at his side.

* * *

The next morning, Edward glanced at his music pages one last time before dialing Jasper's number.

"What?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Call Emmett, we need to get together to rehearse today as soon as we can. I finished the song last night." Edward replied firmly.

"Last night? You mean this morning. You haven't slept at all, have you? Especially since you're calling me at fucking seven in the morning…" Jasper mumbled again.

"Come on, Jasper. Call Emmett and I'll be down at the club getting everything ready. We have to play it tonight."

"Tonight?" Jasper exclaimed, now wide awake. "Does it have to be tonight?"

"Yes," Edward replied coolly. "It has to be tonight."

He heard Jasper sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll try my best to get Emmett's ass up and at the club. How does nine sound?"

Edward nodded. "Nine's perfect. We're going to need as much time as we can. This has to be perfect."

He snapped his phone shut and stretched back out on his bed. He didn't care if they had to rehearse until the second before they were on for the night, everything had to be perfect. This was his only shot and he was going to make the most of it. He heard some movement from Bella's room and practically jumped out of bed at the sound. He leapt out of his room and knocked swiftly on Bella's door before his nerves got the best of him.

She swung open the door and the second she realized who was standing in front of her, she promptly starting to swing it shut but he shot out a hand to stop the door.

"I'm busy packing." She said pointedly. "Besides, I have nothing to say to you."

He sighed and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Bella, this will only take a second."

Her jaw clenched in agitation but she stayed put. Well, it was better than nothing. Her arm extended slightly, letting the boxes behind her come into full view as if to prove to him that she was indeed still planning on moving out as fast as she could.

"Bella," He started again. "I just wanted to ask you if you were coming to the club tonight."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"I told you that when I finished my song I would let you know. Well, the guys and I are getting together today to rehearse so we can play it tonight and you should really be there."

Her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. "I don't know. I have a lot of packing to do still and I just…I just don't think it's a very good idea."

He nodded and bit his lip but decided to try again. "That may be true but…have I ever asked you for anything? I just need you to do this one thing for me and then after tonight, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want."

She hesitated for a moment to think it over, he could practically see the wheels turning in her head to weigh all the options and he found himself smiling at her. All he needed was for her to say yes now and everything would have a chance to work itself out.

She inhaled deeply and let the breath out with a frustrated huff before finally saying the one word he needed to give him a burst of hope:

"Fine."

* * *

**Hmmm...I wonder what's going to happen next??? R/R!!!!**


	14. Hallelujah

**Ok, first of all, a big wow for everyone that reviewed the last chapter...amazing!! I'm sorry this took a little bit for me to post but you have no idea how much I struggled to get this perfect and to choose the perfect song. I don't know how many freaking times I thought I had made up my mind and then changed my mind. But I wanted this to be perfect you guys (and I pretty much pulled an all-nighter to get this to you guys as soon as humanly possible) because you deserve it after how long you've stayed with this...waiting for this moment to finally happen. And let me tell you: it's here. **

**I hate to spoil the surprise early but I figured this way, you can download this song if you don't already have it and ready it on your media player. Just hit repeat. This song is pretty much all I listened to when I wrote this chapter. So...the song is "Everything" by Lifehouse. Download. Repeat. **

**Also, as a word of caution, I have to direct you to the rating of this story for reasons that will be obvious later in this chapter. That's all I'm going to say.**

BLEEDING LOVE

_Well, baby, I've been here before  
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor  
You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya  
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
And love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

"Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley

Chapter Fourteen

The club was crowded, just like any other night. The club was hot and the people were already starting to get sweaty, just like any other night. The boys were already playing on stage, just like any other night. Jacob already had their drinks waiting for them at the bar, just like any other night. But Bella had a feeling this wasn't just any other night. The desperation and glimmer of hope on Edward's face this morning had tipped her off to that. As she got ready to go out, her fingers had trembled in anticipation, even though she hadn't seen Edward since their conversation that morning. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her and she knew it was because she had absolutely no idea what was going to happen that night. The only thing she knew for sure was that Edward was going to play his new song and she had never been so nervous in her entire life.

While Alice and Rosalie took a seat at the bar, Bella used every ounce of willpower she had to force her eyes anywhere but on Edward. She could feel his eyes on her but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. There were too many emotions swirling around in her to even go there. So instead, she focused her attention on her two friends, who were eyeing the stage curiously and whispering to each other.

"What's going on, guys?" Bella asked cautiously. Although she wanted to be included in the conversation, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know what they were discussing.

Alice sharply turned to her with a smirk. "We were just trying to figure out what the deal was with this new song they're supposedly playing tonight."

"Oh." Was all Bella could say.

Rosalie frowned at her lack of response. "Do you know anything about this?"

Bella just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Edward mentioned something about that this morning."

Now Alice was watching her closely with a deep crease in her forehead. "Have you heard what they're going to play? Jazz said Edward wrote it and that he had never heard it before."

Bella shrugged again, suddenly feeling like she was being interrogated. "I heard Edward playing some of it right before Christmas on accident but he wouldn't play it for me."

Rosalie just exhaled deeply at her answer and turned her gaze back to the stage, where the boys were pounding out "Music When the Lights Go Out" by The Libertines. Alice, however, was lost in thought and seemed to be boring holes into the top of the bar.

The more people that packed into the club, the more nervous Bella became. She wasn't entirely sure what she had to be nervous about but that didn't offer her any relief. She was on edge. If she didn't hear that fucking song soon she was going to lose her mind.

With the start of every new song, she felt her heart jump in her chest. And then it fell as soon as the song became recognizable. Besides, she was positive that he would have to announce that it was an original song before playing it. So she waited. And waited. And waited. After twenty minutes of waiting, she finally heard his voice float through the bar.

"Alright everybody, it's that time of the night that you all know well…so let's give it up for Bella Swan!"

As soon as the words registered, she let out a huff of frustration. How much longer was he going to make her wait for this shit? She was very quickly remembering all the things she hated him for and was seriously considering just turning around and walking out of the bar when she felt Alice nudge her.

"What are you going? Get the hell up there!" She hissed in Bella's ear.

"You have got to be kidding me." Bella muttered under her breath as Alice pushed her towards the stage with an exasperated look on her face, as if she couldn't understand Bella's reluctance. Well, she had to forgive her for that, Bella reasoned, because Alice had no way of knowing the battle of wills she was currently engaged in with Edward. Bella was suddenly overcome with relief that she had had the foresight to _not_ inform Alice and Rosalie about everything that was going on here tonight or that she was planning on moving. That way, when she ran out of the club in either humiliation or bewilderment, and she wasn't sure which was worse, she wouldn't have to explain herself. She could just go back to her apartment and pack the rest of her things in peace and with the peace of mind that she had given it a shot.

As she walked up to the stage, she locked eyes with Edward for the first time for the night. He looked tired, somber, but not defeated. There was still that glimmer of hope and determination in his eyes that set her off balance. Now the problem was: what should she sing? Part of her just wanted to sing something neutral and completely unrelated…the other part of her wanted to stick it to him one last time for putting her through such a mindfuck once again. Payback was a bitch and so was she. One more look at Edward and she had made her decision.

When he passed her the microphone, his fingertips brushed against hers and she almost let herself shiver from the contact. It was hardly anything yet almost too much. She didn't meet his eyes even though she wanted more than anything to look at him again. So to combat that desire, she turned to Jasper and Emmett, who were waiting patiently for her song choice. With a devilish smirk, she told them. Emmett's guffaw must have echoed through the entire club while Jasper just shook his head as they began playing the song.

As she took her place at the front of the stage, she bounced her shoulders a little and let herself get into the beat. Hell, she was here to have a good time, wasn't she? A bright smile crossed her face as soon as she saw the deep crease in Edward's forehead as he watched her from where he sat at the bar. He was taking a long pull from his beer and she could see his knuckles turning white he was gripped the edge of the bar so tightly. With that thought in mind, she began the song:

"_You change your mind  
Like a girl changes clothes  
Yeah you, PMS  
Like a bitch  
I would know  
And you always think  
Always speak  
Cryptically  
I should know  
That you're no good for me_

Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up"

Bella was finally starting to have fun. She shook her hips a little and just let herself enjoy the song. She glanced over at Alice, who was bobbing excitedly next to Edward. He, however, did not look like he was having nearly as much fun as Alice. In fact, he looked a little scared now. It was then that Bella realized what she was doing with her song choice. She was testing him. It was her way of saying: are you going to run away or are you going to man up and just do it already? In a way, she was giving him a reason to chicken out and now she had to wait to see if he would take the bait or if he would actually follow through with something for the first time in his life. 

(You) You don't really want to stay, no  
(You) but you don't really want to go-o  
You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down

We used to be  
Just like twins  
So in sync  
The same energy  
Now's a dead battery  
Used to laugh bout nothing  
Now your plain boring  
I should know that  
You're not gonna change

_Someone call the doctor  
Got a case of a love bi-polar  
Stuck on a roller coaster  
Can't get off this ride_

Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up  
You, You don't really want to stay, no  
*but* You, but you don't really want to go-o  
You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down."

As the song ended, Bella placed the microphone back on its stand and hopped down without even waiting for Edward. When she brushed past him on his way back up to the stage, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her at the brief contact. And with a heavy heart, she realized that she had always felt this with him; she had just been in denial for years. He turned his head as he passed her and their eyes met with only a split second but it was enough to turn her inside out. This waiting game had better end soon.

But it didn't. She was growing too anxious to interact properly with Alice and Rosalie and was instead tapping her foot against her barstool in an excruciating combination of impatience and anticipation. When was this ever going to end? Was he just doing this to drive her insane? She was sick and tired of playing games, which she was now certain that's what had been happening, especially over the last few months. They had both reached their breaking point and she had a feeling there was no going back after this night, regardless of the outcome.

She glanced at her phone and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized there was just ten minutes or so until bar close. The crowd was already beginning to clear and she was more than ready to leave. And if this really was like any other night, the boys would be wrapping up their set soon.

As if on cue, they ended "Tiny Dancer" and Edward's voice floated over the speakers to give the last call. Her heart jumped up in her throat as soon as she noticed the change in his voice. It was shaky and he sounded…nervous. Probably just as nervous as she felt.

"Well," Edward began unsteadily. "This is the last song of the night. I've been working on this song for awhile now and I hadn't felt like we needed to play it until last night…when someone told me there was nothing I could do or say change things. Well, I'm standing here now and I'm going to say what I need to say before I blow this again."

He stood up from the stool and replaced his acoustic guitar with an electric one, then went back to the microphone before nodding to Jasper, who had taken his place at the keyboards.

As Edward began to strum out the chords, she immediately recognized them as what she had heard him play in their living room, in what now seemed like ages ago. So much had happened since that night. And now, something else was happening. She watched, her eyes already beginning to tear, as Edward began to sing:

**Find me here, speak to me  
**_"I want to feel you, I need to hear you  
You are the light that's leading me to the place  
Where I find peace again  
You are the strength that keeps me walking  
You are the hope that keeps me trusting  
You are the light to my soul  
You are my purpose  
You're everything"_

"_And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

Her heart was pounding like a hammer in her chest andher eyes refused to be anywhere else but entirely and completely on the man, who, she knew, had written this song for her.

_  
"You calm the storms and you give me rest  
You hold me in your hands  
You won't let me fall  
You still my heart, and you take my breath away  
Would you take me in take me deeper now_

_  
And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this  
And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

As the song began to build, she was completely frozen in place as the meaning of the words began to wash over in wave after wave. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

_  
"Cause you're all I want,  
You're all I need  
You're everything.. everything  
You're all I want  
You're all I need  
You're everything.. everything  
You're all I want  
You're all I need  
You're everything.. everything  
You're all I want  
You're all I need  
Everything.. everything"_

She knew exactly what he was telling her and she hadn't realized how much and for how long she had been waiting to hear that until she actually heard it. She felt…euphoric…and she wanted to laugh and she wanted to cry and she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and she wanted to jump up and down from the excitement of it all and…she had to wait just a little bit longer to give him her answer. And she knew exactly what that answer was going to be.

_  
And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this  
And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better any better than this  
And how can I stand here with you  
And not be moved by you  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this"_

The song ended and Bella finally got what she had been waiting six minutes for: Edward's eyes collided straight with hers. She knew he was looking for some kind of reaction from her but she stayed cool, remembering where she was. This was not the time and this was not the place. This would have to wait until they could talk somewhere privately. Not here in front of so many watching eyes. So instead, she tried to look as expressionless as possible and she saw a hint of a frown creep across his features. He was breathing heavily and it seemed the act of finally wearing his heart on his sleeve had taken a lot out of him.

She watched him carefully as he put away his guitar with shaking hands and say good night to Jasper and Emmett. She didn't even notice Alice and Rosalie leave her side to find their significant others. All she saw was Edward walking towards her. Finally. He ran a hand nervously through his hair when he got up to the bar. After a long pause, he turned to her and his Adam's apple bobbed several times before he met her eyes. There was an obvious question in them but the one he finally asked wasn't the one she was expecting.

"So…do you wanna get out of here?" He asked quietly, his gaze penetrating into her deeply.

All she could do was nod. She waited while he leaned over the bar to tell Jacob he was going to take her home and waved quickly to Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice, who were all huddled closely together near the front of the stage.

He silently took her elbow and led her out of the bar. There were several cabs outside already and she followed him to the nearest one. He opened the door for her and slid in next to her, quietly telling the driver where they needed to go.

Bella sat next to him and had never felt so tightly coiled in her entire life. Her breath was coming in and out at an alarming rate and one glance his way told her his was the same. He was staring out the window and his fists were balled tightly together in his lap. She wanted to speak but the words just wouldn't come out. In her head, she was chanting: _say something, Edward, please…anything, just say something…_ He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly and he leaned his head against the window. _Please, say something…anything…_

When they finally reached the front of their apartment, Edward paid the driver and followed her out of the cab. They walked up the steps in complete silence and this lack of speaking was making her nervousness spread throughout her entire body. A knot had formed in her stomach and it was rapidly unfolding itself inside her, flip-flopping from side to side. Her heart was jumping wildly in her chest as Edward unlocked their door and let her inside.

She threw off her jacket and her purse haphazardly on the floor and moved aside so Edward could follow in after her. He was watching her carefully, almost questioningly, and she knew he was waiting for her to say something. But wasn't he the one with something to say in the first place? Shouldn't it be him that started this conversation?

She looked up from the floor and her eyes flew to him like they were magnets. He was biting his lip and she could see his chest rising and falling just as quickly as hers was. _Please say something_. _Don't put me through all of this for nothing._ She counted down in her head from ten, still waiting, and still, nothing happened. They were, yet again, locked in another battle of wills, both too stubborn and too afraid to take this last and final step. Before she could even get a hold on her emotions, tears began to slip down her cheeks and her hands trembled at her sides. The second he realized she was crying, his expression softened immediately and she waited for him to gather her into his arms but it didn't happen.

Something snapped in her and she was done with all this waiting. If he wasn't going to do anything, what was the point of all of this? He was stupid and so was she.

With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and started walking to her bedroom. When she was a foot away from him, she lifted her tear-filled eyes to meet his and whispered: "You're an idiot."

As soon as the words left her mouth, his hand shot out and gripped her forearm to stop her. She didn't have any time to react because he turned her around and crashed his lips onto hers with such a force that she stumbled back. His other arm snaked around her waist to steady her and suddenly, her hands were tangled in his hair and his arms tightened their grip to crush their bodies closer together. He kissed her greedily and she returned his kiss with a hunger that she had never felt before. She needed more from him and sought it in her next kiss; she most definitely found it.

Her fingers flexed against the tense muscles in his neck; she kissed him with blind need and he reflexively grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her face even closer to him. When his parted lips moved insistently against hers, she welcomed his tongue in her mouth and moaned at the new sensations welling over her. And then she wasn't in control anymore. This build-up, this game, this dance they had been doing for months was too much and she needed release. Suddenly, she wasn't aware of anything anymore except for his hands, as they roamed the length of her back and tightened around her, and his lips, as they prodded and sucked her top and bottom lips with fiery desire.

Her hands found the edges of his shirt and she shivered when her fingertips grazed his skin as she slid it over his head. In a split second, her hands were at his waistband, undoing his belt and pants button. He tore his lips away from hers to fumble with sending her shirt over her head and then his lips were right back were they belonged, capturing her roughly by the mouth, his parted lips driving onto her mouth with passion that matched her own. Her hands tangled in his hair and she gasped as his lips made a trail down the side of her neck, only stopping at certain spots to lightly suck on her tender skin, sending bolts of sensations through her entire body.

Somehow, they began moving toward her bedroom. With each step closer, they grew more and more crazed. His lips tore roughly into hers, with the pent-up need and frustration of years of wanting and needing exactly this finally overtaking him and making him lose all control. His fingers were on her waist now, sinking lower and lower until they hit their mark and dipped inside the waistband of her jeans.

They crossed the threshold of her bedroom and he kicked the door shut behind her, slamming her against it. As soon as her back hit the door, she wrapped a leg around his waist, making him groan into her mouth. Then, their hands were frantically working their pants down their legs, kicking them off and away like mad. His hands immediately flew to her waist and he hooked a finger in her underwear to pull the restricting material out of his way. In a split second, her hands were on his boxers, pulling them down and he stepped out of them to press his hardness against her. She moaned at the touch and writhed in his grasp, wrapping both legs around his waist. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and gasped for air. He knew exactly what she wanted and he needed to give it to her; he thought he might pass out if he didn't.

He gripped her behind firmly and carried her across her room until they were falling back against her bed. Her hands flew into his hair and she tightened her legs around him, silently begging him to put her out of her misery. He couldn't wait anymore. With a groan, he pushed himself into her and she cried out from the shock of his invasion. Every muscle in his body tensed and he froze, afraid that he had hurt her.

But she just pulled his head down into her neck and whispered hoarsely: "Don't stop."

He groaned into her ear as her legs clamped down around his waist. She was moving her hips, thrashing underneath him and he couldn't deny her any longer. He started to move with her, grinding his hips and pushing himself further into her, slipping in and out until her fingernails dug into him and her head fell back against the bed. She moaned softly into his ear which only made him drive into her faster and harder. They were moving together at a hectic pace now, clinging to each other as the sensations and the passions went on and on until she was gripping his head desperately as her walls quaked around him. As soon as the moan left her lips, he was gone, spilling over into her and draining him completely.

He collapsed on top her and her legs slipped down until they rested against the bed. He lifted his head from the crook of her neck and looked into her eyes, which were glimmering with unshed tears. He smiled and leaned down to place a soft, gentle kiss onto her swollen lips. She chuckled and ruffled his hair as he rolled them to the side, slipping out of her, and reached down to pull her comforter over them.

She wrapped an arm around his waist and buried her face in chest, breathing him in and memorizing everything about him and this moment. His arms found her tiny waist and gripped her tightly before he placed one more loving kiss on her lips and then, moments later, they were both sleeping soundly in each other's arms.

* * *

**Whew! Who knew I had it in me? I definitely didn't. **

**For anyone that thinks there wasn't enough foreplay, see chapters 1-13 ;)**

**I was thinking that it would be pretty cool if we could get to 500 reviews with this chapter. What do ya think? I think I earned it...**


	15. Say

**All I can say to you guys is...wow!!! WOW!!! I still cannot believe all the review that came flooding into my inbox for the last chapter. I wish I could bake you all a cake but since I can't exactly do that very easily, I figured this chapter would do the trick. Sorry it took me a little while to get this up but I started student teaching this week so I'm not going to be able to update as often as I used to...but don't worry, I'm stickin' this out to the end. Promise. **

BLEEDING LOVE

_Take all of your wasted honor  
Every little past frustration  
Take all of your so-called problems,  
Better put 'em in quotations_

_Say what you need to say _

_Say what you need to say_

_Have no fear for giving in  
Have no fear for giving over  
You'd better know that in the end  
It's better to say too much  
Then never say what you need to say again_

_Say what you need to say _

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

"Say" by John Mayer

Chapter Fifteen

Although he had barely slept the night before, Edward quickly found he couldn't sleep. The woman sleeping soundly in his arms was making it much too difficult. Sure, his body was exhausted but his mind wouldn't turn off, it just kept going and going, still reeling from the night's events. He had had no idea how the night was going to go, there were too many possibilities to even allow himself to hope for the best case scenario. But somehow, it had happened. He was lying in bed with the woman he had loved for longer than he even knew for sure and she was curled up to him, her arms flung around him like she was clinging to him for dear life. He couldn't believe it. He tilted his head to inhale the scent of her hair just to prove to himself that this was real. His lips brushed against her forehead and he let them linger on her skin, just taking in the feel of it, the taste of it, everything.

She must have felt his touch because she stirred in his arms, gripping his neck tighter and rubbing her face against his cheek. He reflexively started rubbing her back with both hands, willing her to open her eyes, even though he knew she had to be just as exhausted as he was, especially given their activities only a few hours before. Much to his surprise and delight, her eyelids fluttered and suddenly he was looking straight down into her sleepy brown eyes.

She smiled softly before exhaling: "Hey."

He smirked and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "Hey."

The corners of her mouth turned upward again at that and she nuzzled her head into his shoulders, reveling in the feel of his arms around her. Just as she was drifting back to sleep, her eyes darted open and she tore her arms out from around him, shooting up from bed.

"What? What's wrong?" He said in a hushed whisper, remembering that Jacob was sleeping only two bedrooms away.

She turned back to him, worry etched on her face. "I just remembered…oh shit…our clothes are all over the kitchen! Jake had to have seen that when he came home tonight."

He chuckled lightly, sitting up to wrap his arms around her and whisper into her hair. "Yeah…I remembered that too…I picked everything up before he came home so don't worry."

She turned to face him until their noses were almost touching, looking up at him with disbelief in her eyes.

"You came back to my room." She whispered hoarsely.

He nodded slowly as sudden panic washed over him. What if she hadn't wanted him to come back? What if she had wanted him to leave? What if she hadn't wanted to spend the _whole_ night with him? He hadn't thought twice about not coming back into her room. To be completely honest, there was no where else he wanted to be. This was all completely opposite from the pattern he had fallen into…he never cuddled, never actually wanted to spend a whole night with a girl, never felt the need to be closer, until now. He didn't know what to do next.

He swallowed, exhaling shakily while he tried to find some words.

"Was that…did you…is this ok?" He said finally, stumbling all the way through it and gesturing helplessly to the bed.

She blinked for a moment, as if trying to figure out what he meant. Then, in a flash, understanding flicked across her eyes and she nodded slowly. "Yeah…it is. I guess I was just surprised that you…that you wanted to come back into bed."

Now it was his turn to be surprised as his brow furrowed tightly. They were really going to have to work on their communication. "Why would I not want to come back?"

She lowered her head, her fingers playing with the edge of the comforter and even in the dark, he could see a blush spread across her face.

"I don't know…" she mumbled. "I guess…I guess I just don't know what to think about any of this. I mean, given everything that happened a few hours ago, I just…I just don't know what it means for you and me."

He sighed and rocked back against his heels as she refused to make eye contact with him, even though his eyes seemed to be permanently fastened to her body. She had to know…she had to know what she meant to him, that this wasn't just any other night for him, this was _the_ night; the night he had been telling himself would never happen but had been secretly praying for all the same. She had to know.

He bit his lip, still watching her, and ran a hand anxiously through his hair. Well, it was now or never. Besides, the feeble 'friendship' they had had was torn down forever now. There was no going back to whatever had been before.

With a deep breath, he reached across the bed and slid his hand into hers. She jumped a little at the contact and finally, almost reflexively, looked up to meet his gaze since their unnecessarily awkward moment.

"Bella…" he started softly. "You don't know how long I've wanted this…not just what happened earlier tonight, although that was even more unbelievable than I could have imagined…but what I'm trying to say is that…I've loved you since high school, Bella, probably longer than that and I don't plan on wasting any more time. I want us to be together…I love you, Bella."

She let out a raspy breath and he could feel her hand tremble in his. Her eyes were shining in the moonlight that had flitted through her curtains, her hair fell around her shoulders in a rumbled cascade, in just her bra and underwear and he had never seen her look more beautiful or more vulnerable. His heart tightened in his chest as her mouth finally opened to give him the response he had been waiting for.

"I love you too." She whispered, smiling through her tears.

He laughed softly at the long-awaited confession and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against his chest as tightly as he could. Her hands travelled up his neck, entangling themselves in his already wild hair and their mouths connected instantaneously. It was amazing; they had only been doing this for a total of three hours and already, their bodies were in sync with each other. It was clear they weren't going to be getting any sleep tonight.

He shifted their bodies so he could lower them down to the bed. He settled himself on top of her, slipping in between her legs as she wrapped them lazily around his waist. Then, all of a sudden, their kisses muffled a playful laugh for her lips and he pulled away with a look of confusion on his face.

"How long did you say you've been in love with me?" She asked mischievously.

He rested his elbows around the sides of her head and smirked at her. "You heard me."

She bit her lip to catch another fit of laughter. What she said next made his breath hitch in his throat.

"What took you so long?" She whispered sweetly.

He swallowed and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I don't know…I guess I didn't think you thought of me that way even though, I have to tell you, the last couple of months now tell me otherwise."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Come on, it's not you were making it easy for me."

He cocked his head to the side, matching her playfully. "It's not like you were either."

She chuckled softly and he could tell it was taking all of her resolve to be quiet. "Fine. Truce."

"Truce."

She laughed again and placed a quick kiss on his lips, breaking away before he had the chance to intensify it. "So tell me, does all this explain why you so inexplicably swooped in and saved me from that prom disaster senior year?"

He smirked at her and chuckled. "Sure. I couldn't let you go by yourself."

"And Carlisle just happened to have a suit lying around just in your size." She retorted.

"We're the same size actually…and that really was just a coincidence, honest to God."

"You hadn't asked anyone."

"That's because you had already been asked by that dumbshit…what was his name?"

"I don't remember."

He leaned down to give her a quick peck. "Good. Anyways, if I was going to go that stupid, God-awful torture session, the only person I wanted to go with was you. So when your idiot of a date decided to ditch, I saw no problem with stepping in."

She smiled softly. "I didn't either. You know, that was the most fun I ever had at a dance in high school. I could never figure out why but now I think it was probably because, deep down, you were the only person I really wanted to go with, too. Besides, seeing you get down to "Ice, Ice, Baby" _and _rap out every word was worth every second."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"You know it."

He leaned down to kiss her again. When he finally released her lips, she was looking up at him with a look that made his heart race wildly in his chest.

"You know," she whispered into his ear, making him shiver. "I never really thanked you for that. I never thanked you for a lot things actually."

He frowned down at her. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, James for starters."

She ignored the way his jaw clenched angrily at the mere mention of that name and continued. "I mean, come on, Edward, you spent the night in jail for me and I never really thanked you. I wish I had that night when you came home…I was just so…overwhelmed with everything and I couldn't figure out why the hell you would be willing to go to jail for me. God, I was stupid."

He shook his head. "You weren't stupid. You went through a hell of a lot that day and I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I was taking my anger out on the wrong person…"

She quickly put her finger to his lips. "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's not worth it, you know? Anyways, thank you for beating the fuck out of him. He deserved it."

He nodded proudly. "You're welcome. Don't think I won't hesitate to do it again if any other guy even looks at you the wrong way."

She smirked up at him and bit her lip. "Well, well, well, why don't you just start swinging your club around and throw me over your shoulder while you're at it?"

He grimaced at that, realizing how bad he had sounded. "Sorry. I guess…I can't help it. Especially not anymore."

She smiled softly. "I don't really mind. I like it."

He bit back a chuckle as he leaned down to kiss her deeply. "That's good to know."

He muffled her response as he took hold of her lips again, smiling as whatever she was going to say turned into a low moan in the back of her throat. Her hands resumed their earlier position in his hair, pulling his face in ever closer and she clenched her legs tightly around his waist. He broke away to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, stopping only to lightly suck on the places he had found only a few hours ago.

When she gasped at the sensation, he paused for a moment to murmur against her skin. "You like that?"

His eyes flickered open to catch her desperate nod and he took that as his invitation to travel further down her body. His lips never left her skin as his hands worked expertly behind her back to unclasp her bra and he quickly shoved the material out of the way so he could run his tongue between her breasts, then back up again, causing her to shiver beneath them. He went to work on her nipples, lightly running tongue in circles around them before capturing each one in his mouth as he sucked and teased with his tongue. When he heard her moan softly and felt her hips buck underneath him, he decided it was more than time to start making his way lower. He let go of her breast and resumed his trail down to her stomach, where he left open-mouthed kisses along it, stopping only to run his tongue along the edge of her underwear.

Just then, a loud snore erupted from outside the room, causing Bella to jump and effectively kneeing Edward right in the shoulder.

"Ow…" He whispered a little too harshly as he rubbed the spot with his free hand, growling lowly while his other one took a strong hold on her hip to get her back into place.

"I'm sorry…are you alright? That just scared me…oh God, what are we going to do about Jacob…and everyone else?" She whispered worriedly.

His brow furrowed and he let his grip on her hips loosen as he looked down at her with new apprehension. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what are we going to tell everyone?"

He frowned again before just shrugging his shoulders. What did he care what everyone else thought? All that mattered was that they were finally together. Everything and everyone else could take a long dive off a short cliff for all he cared.

"Why don't we just tell them the truth?" He answered. "That's easy enough. Besides, what difference does it make?"

She bit her lip in uncertainty and tore her eyes away from his, which made him even more anxious.

"I just don't know how…certain people…are going to react is all."

He sighed and pushed himself up so he was kneeling in between her legs. "And by 'certain people', you mean Jacob, right?"

She bit her lip again and nodded, finally bringing her cautious eyes back to meet his wary ones. He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. She was sitting up now and quickly grabbed a pillow to cover her exposed skin, which made him smirk, despite the fact that he didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"You know him…he's not going to react well to this." Bella whispered, her eyes begging him for something that he wasn't sure he wanted to give her.

"So what? It's not about him, Bella. We shouldn't have to hide, if that's what you're suggesting. Not for his sake."

"I know that…and I'm not saying we need to hide. I just think that we don't need to tell everyone just yet..."

His eyebrows rose slightly and he was having difficulty keeping his tone neutral now. "Why? We don't have anything to hide and we're not doing anything wrong, are we?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, of course not. That's not what I'm saying, Edward."

She leaned into him, gripping his face and placing a soft kiss on his lips to emphasize her point and to reassure him.

"I'm sorry," she continued. "I'm just protective of him, you know that. And I don't want to hurt his feelings…you know he doesn't react well to any kind of change. And well…maybe I just want to enjoy being with you for awhile without having everyone watching our every move and analyzing everything about our relationship just yet. We've waited too long for this and I just want to fucking enjoy it without having to think about anything else, you know?"

He nodded slightly. Well, he had to admit that she did have a point with that one. At least where their privacy was concerned. He knew, without a doubt, that as soon as they 'came out' as a couple, it would be hard for them to find a moment alone for awhile, knowing his sister and sister-in-law. And he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it from Jasper and Emmett, especially once those idiots put two and two together about his song. And Jacob, well, he didn't feel like having to deal him just yet, either. Maybe it was best if they did wait for a little while.

"Alright," he whispered hoarsely, nodding again. "I see your point. But I don't want to keep this a secret for real long, ok? There's no good reason to."

She smiled and leaned in closer to him, her lips just inches away from his. She smirked when she felt his breath come out in short rasps at their sudden closeness. "I don't want to either. Besides, we could have some fun sneaking around a little. You know, make up for some lost time?"

He groaned and pulled her closer to him until she was straddling him, her hands once again becoming entangled in his hair. She had no idea how much he wanted to make for lost time right then. She leaned down to him, brushing her lips softly against his in an excruciating tease, and then just as quickly, leaned back again. She was looking into his eyes now with an uncertainty in her wide brown pools that made him uneasy. She had nothing to be uncertain about. Nothing to be worried about. This was it. She was it. End of story.

"Edward…" she trailed off, suddenly losing her nerve to speak her mind. This was not the time for that, she reminded herself. If he was laying everything out on the table, she needed to as well. There was no way they could make this work, either they kept it a secret for awhile or not, if they couldn't communicate. God knows the reason it had taken them so long was because a lack thereof and she wanted more than anything for this to work. Besides, she needed to hear this for the sake of her own sanity.

He watched her with expectant eyes, still waiting for her to finish her thought and he tighten his hold around her waist to send her the silent message that she could tell him anything.

"Edward…" she began again. "I just…I just need to know that I can trust you. If you say I can, I'll believe you. I just need to hear you say it."

He swallowed and let out a shaky breath. He hadn't been expecting this. But, given his past behavior, she had a valid question. She had seen him go through girl and girl and it was only natural for her have those doubts about him. Hell, she'd probably be stupid not to consider it, at least once. But now that he finally had her, he wasn't going to make the same mistake he had made over and over again, ever again.

"Bella, you know they never really meant anything to me, right?"

She let out a frustrated sigh and her eyes glimmered with exasperation. "That really makes me feel better."

His arms tightened around her again, as if to remind her that she was the one he was holding. "I know, I know, it's just that…you have to know that despite the way I've acted in the past, you are the only girl…woman…I'm ever going to want to be with. There is no one else and there never will be."

She nodded slowly as he continued. "And that's part of why I don't want us to keep this a secret for too long. I want everyone to know that I fucking love you. I want everyone to know that we're together and there is no other woman for me. I'm sorry if I sounded like an asshole before but I really don't give a flying fuck what Jacob or anyone else thinks because I know what I think about us and I know what you think about us and that's all that matters to me."

The smile that had been slowly creeping across her face during his little speech had by now widely spread until she was grinning from ear to ear. That was all she needed to hear. He loved her. She loved him. What else really mattered anyway?

"So," he whispered playfully. "What are your plans for today?"

She smirked and bit her lip, eagerly noticing the way his eyes grazed down to her lips and he licked his own in anticipation.

"Oh, I don't know," she whispered. "Maybe a little studying at the library…it's nice and quiet there…somewhere we can be alone…"

"Hmmm..." he murmured into her hair. "I like the way you think."

This time, she let him pull her back down to his face until their lips met again. He hitched her hips up so she could move her legs around him and lowered them down to the bed. As he resumed the trail he had blazed on her body earlier, he heard her exhale breathlessly:

"Edward…I love you…"

* * *

**So what'd you think about the morning after? A little fluff never hurt anyone, right?**

**So I've got some news for you guys: I'm starting another story soon. I was going to wait until this one is done, but since it's starting to wrap up, I can't wait too much longer because this plot bunny sunk it's teeth into me (no pun intended, honestly) and won't let me go. **

**Here's the gist of it:**

**It's called The Miseducation of Bella Swan. Bella is a first-year English teacher at Forks High (and living with Charlie again to save money) so I'm sure you can guess who shows up as a fellow teacher (and varsity basketball coach) at Forks, huh? No, this isn't going to be an old high school crush story...that's been done before and that's not really where I'm planning on taking this story. Bella has had a lot of bad luck with relationships and has basically given up on it to focus on teaching. When the story starts, Bella and Edward, who went to grade school together, haven't seen each other in over four years and there was never any type of unrequited love going on between them. They don't really know each other when this picks up but their parents, especially Renee and Esme, definitely want them to get to know each other better. **

**Hopefully that was enough to entice you to come over when I get the first chapter posted (which will probably be within a week or two). **

**If you have any suggestions or ideas for some crazy things Bella and Edward can get into, let me know! **

**As always, R/R! I live for it!**


	16. No One

**I know, I know...it's been sooo long since I've updated. I'm not going to lie, this student teaching thing is rough. I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to write this chapter, written a few paragraphs, and then had to stop because I was just too exhausted to write. I also didn't want to rush something out and have it be complete crap either. So I took a little break (the word 'little' being subjective here) from writing and now I feel like I fell back in love with this story too. I know it's been awhile and if I've lost your interest, I'll understand...I just hope that some of you are still around because I do plan on finishing this, I promise! **

**One quick note: This chapter takes place one month after the last one; at the line break, it jumps forward two weeks. Just thought I'd clarify so there's no confusion.**

BLEEDING LOVE

_I just want you close  
Where you can stay forever  
You can be sure  
That it will only get better  
You and me together  
Through the days and nights  
I don't worry 'cause  
Everything is gonna be alright  
People keep talking  
They can say what they like  
But all I know is everything is gonna be alright_

No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling  
No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you  
You, you  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

"No One" by Alicia Keys

Chapter Sixteen

He was trying _very _hard to concentrate. The book sat in front of him on the table and even though it had been open to the same page for the last hour, he really was making an effort to understand the concepts in front of him. As it turned out, this studying thing actually worked from time to time, especially when he went to the library. He had even gotten a considerably better grade on his last Psychology test because of it. Go figure. Unfortunately, his mind kept wandering to places that definitely didn't aid his resolve to concentrate.

Bella. Even just the thought of her name made him smirk triumphantly. After a month, he still couldn't believe it had happened. He didn't deserve his good fortune. He was absolutely sure of that. There was nothing in his past that gave precedence for the last month of his life but that's not to say his life and more specifically, his behavior, hadn't changed for the better. Bella seemed to have an impact on everything he did and every decision he made in the month. He couldn't eat without her, he sure as hell couldn't sleep without her (and maneuvering this had proved more difficult than he had thought it was going to be), and he definitely couldn't be without her for more than a few hours at a time. He couldn't even shave without wondering whether or not she would like it or if he would scratch her face if he didn't…he was fucking pathetic. But he couldn't care less. He had never felt this complete in his entire life and all of these new emotions, this new dependence he had on her was something he welcomed with open arms.

Everything was different for him now. Everything he did, said, and thought took on a whole new perspective. And despite all that, he still couldn't stop from mentally smacking himself for having waited so long. Denying himself this kind of absolute and pure happiness had been torture of the cruelest kind and it almost made him physically sick to think how different his life could have been for the last couple of years. But, he knew, that line of thinking was just going to make him crazy and take away from his new residence on cloud 9. Besides, he had more important things to do now…like waiting for Bella to show up.

As if on cue, and sometimes he swore she could read his mind, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced around him and grinned mischievously when he found that he was very, very alone.

One peek at her text was all he needed to see: _U by our table??_

His fingers flew over the buttons to reply and he bite his lip in excitement when his phone vibrated again seconds later with her response: _5 min._

His foot bounced anxiously underneath the table as he hoped and prayed that no poor, unsuspecting fellow library-goer decided to make this particular wing their place of study. He or she would be in for a rude awakening.

Exactly five minutes later, he felt a pair of familiar arms slide around his neck. Her breath was warm in his ear and he shivered in anticipation.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." She whispered huskily into his ear.

"Well…actually, I've been trying to study and for some reason, I haven't been able to concentrate…I can't imagine why." He grinned up at her.

She pouted as she leaned down to wrap her arms tightly around his chest. "Aww…I'm glad I could distract you."

He laughed out loud, prompting her to quickly shush him and cover his mouth with her hand.

"Come on, Edward," she scolded under her breath. "If we get caught now, it's all your fault."

He grinned widely, scooted his chair out and pulled her down onto his lap. "Well, that's just a risk I'll have to take."

He caught her response with his mouth and kissed her deeply before the pressure from her hands made him pull away.

"What?" He asked breathlessly.

Without a word, she hopped off his lap and tugged mischievously on his arm with a playful grin. He didn't need any more convincing than that and slid off his chair, allowing her to lead him to a silent stack. While Bella occasionally cast a glance behind them to make sure no one was coming, he wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to even consider the possibility of getting caught. Instead, his thoughts were clouded with nothing but her.

Before her back even touched the edge of the stack, her hands were already snaking their way underneath the edge of his shirt and up his back. Their foreheads touched and when he caught her heavy, hooded gaze, any remaining control vanished. He forcefully brought his lips down on hers and she responded by hitching a leg around his hips. He slid a hand up the inside of her thigh, and with a silent prayer of thanks to whoever had the brilliance to invent skirts, yanked her underwear aside. She was already wasting zero time with his buckle and zipper and it was only a matter of seconds before she had freed him of his restraints.

With a low groan, he pushed himself inside her and she had to bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. Her hands flew up to the hold on to the top of the stack so she could ride him more easily as he slid in and out, burying his face in her hair to muffle the sound of his heavy breathing. Both legs were wrapped around him now as he drove deeper and faster until their knees buckled from wave after wave.

She collapsed against him and he had to hold them up with his hands as they rode out the remainder of the exhilaration of what they had just done. He laid a trail of kisses across her cheek and she playfully smacked his arm.

"What?" He whispered into her ear with a grin tugging at his lips.

"We need to get out of here." She whispered back. She was trying to sound stern but the glowing look in her eye gave her away.

He promptly resituated his pants and slid her underwear back in place, skimming her ass in the process which only made her laugh out loud.

"See? Now we're just a couple talking in the library."

"We're pretty close to be just talking."

His mouth twisted in a suggestive grin at that. "So what? Besides, if anyone asks, I'll just say I was trying to seduce you anyway."

She smacked his arm and playfully pushed past him to make her way back to his table. She pointed meaningfully at his backpack and the mess of books and papers on the desk.

"Come on, I'm serious, Edward." She laughed.

He grinned brightly one more time and placed a quick kiss on her lips before saluting her.

"Yes, ma'am." He said firmly, before helping her clean up his mess.

As they walked out of the library together, it took all his self-control to not take her hand or even touch her. Even though keeping this secret had been easier than he had thought, certain times were more difficult than others…especially after a quickie in the library. Truth be told, sneaking around was a lot more fun than he had ever thought it would be. There was something about the thrill of not getting caught, especially when they were in a public place, that was such a major turn-on. Even something like holding hands under the table when no one was looking was fun. It certainly kept things interesting, that was for sure. And as far as he could tell, all of their friends were none the wiser. Although he didn't want to keep their relationship a secret forever, he was definitely liking this.

"You know," he started as they headed back towards their apartment. "I can't think of very many reasons to wear a skirt in the middle of February."

Her eyebrows rose suggestively and she tilted her head towards him. "Well, I can think of _one_."

"Hmm…yeah, that is a good one. You're really spoiling me, you know that?"

Her forehead creased in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what are we going to do a couple years from now, out of college, with no campus library to meet up in?"

She just laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Well…it doesn't have to a be library…there's always movie theatres, public bathrooms, coatrooms, the office in the club…the list goes on and on…"

His eyes widened briefly as she spoke but he quickly recovered and squeezed her hand for a short moment before releasing it to send her a sly look.

"If I had any doubts about why I love you, and I'm not saying I do, you just knocked them all out of the park. Speaking of which…is Jacob going to be there when we get home?"

* * *

Bella sighed deeply and shifted the phone in her hand as she listened patiently to Alice, who was now talking her ear off.

"Come on, Alice…give me a break, will you? I have a paper to finish and a mountain of reading to do."

"Don't care. Homework is not an excuse."

"Sure it is. And why are being so goddamn difficult about this? If I go out tonight, I'm going to lose a whole night of work time and I just can't do that."

Alice huffed into the phone and Bella could almost see her stomping her foot in frustration. "Since when do you stay in and write papers on a Saturday night? Hmm? You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a date tonight and don't want to tell me about it."

Bella almost dropped the phone in surprise. No way. No fucking way.

"Uhh…" she stammered. "You know you'd be the first person I'd tell if I ever…"

"Uh huh, sure Bella. Whatever. Fine. Be that way if you must. Call me tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Have fun tonight."

Bella snapped her phone shut with a sigh and tossed it back on her bed. She really hoped that Alice didn't really believe her words earlier. God, if she only knew how close she was to the truth. She leaned a little closer to her wall and could hear Edward on the phone. He was most likely doing the exact same thing she had just been doing. At least Alice had given up and left her alone. And from what she could hear, Emmett was giving him a harder time than Alice had.

With a quick glance at her clock, she sighed again. Two more hours to kill. Two more hours until Jacob left for the club. And two more hours until her and Edward had the whole apartment to themselves. They had been planning this night for two weeks, waiting for the weekend night that Jacob was away. She was practically bursting with excitement at the thought of having a night in with Edward. For the first time in the six weeks they had been together, they were going to have a date night at home, like any other normal couple could. All the sneaking around they had been doing had made her forget the simple luxuries of things like cuddling on the couch to watch a movie and making dinner for her boyfriend. She couldn't wait to do those things with Edward.

She jumped a little at the sound of some clanking around in Edward's room and realized that he must off the phone now with Emmett. She was tempted to knock on his door but immediately thought better of it. She just had to wait two more hours and he would be all hers for the whole night.

Unfortunately, playing the waiting game wasn't as easy as she thought. She made an attempt at some reading but quickly found she couldn't concentrate. She did some sit-ups, flipped through a magazine, and soon found herself sitting on her hands with her feet bouncing anxiously. Finally, she heard the sound she had been waiting so very impatiently to hear: the sound of the front door closing. Which meant that Jacob was finally gone.

She flew to her door and flung it open, only to see Edward's door fling open at the exact same time. His lips immediately curled up into a wide grin and he took a big step out of his doorway and towards her. She smiled and mirrored his actions silently. He took another step towards her, which she followed until their faces were mere inches apart.

"So…" he began, a lop-sided grin playing on his face.

Her eyebrows rose at that and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. "So…"

He raised an eyebrow at her, turned to the side and jutted out his elbow for her to take. She slid her arm through his and he smirked as he led her into the kitchen.

"You don't have to make me dinner, you know." He said finally.

She swatted him out of the way and opened the refrigerator as she spoke. "I want to so you're just going to have to deal with it."

He laughed lightly and hopped up on the counter as she started pulling a few bagged items and cans out.

"Can I help?"

She turned back to him with a disapproving look on her face. "What do you think?"

He shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms good-naturedly over his chest. "Just thought I'd be polite and offer."

She chuckled as she set a pot of tomato sauce on the stove. "Yeah, well you thought wrong."

He smiled again while he watched her chop up a few peppers and onions, marveling again for at least the tenth time that day of how lucky he was. Not only was the woman of his dreams finally his but she could cook too. Wonders never cease.

"What excuse did you give Emmett?" She asked, throwing him from his thoughts.

"I told him I had a date."

Her eyebrows rose and he held his hands up in mock defense.

"Hey," he reasoned. "I didn't want to lie to him…I just didn't give him all the information."

She just shrugged and nodded. "I just told Alice I had a paper to write. She didn't take that too lightly but she'll get over it."

He shook his head, mentally cursing his pushy little sister, and leaned down to get a closer look at what she was doing around the stove.

"So what exactly is all this?" He asked, swirling a finger around her creation in the air.

"This…is my favorite recipe with my special sauce. You'll love it, I promise."

"Hmm…it sure smells good. I'm not worried…" He threw her an empathetic look and raised an eyebrow as she tossed several handfuls of garlic, peppers, and onions into the sauce.

She gave everything a few stirs before wiping her hands and turned back to face him.

"So what are the plans tonight?"

He leaned back against the counter and shrugged. "I really don't care what we do…as long as I'm with you, it really doesn't matter."

She bit her lip, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at that. Sometimes, she felt like she still had to pinch herself. Sometimes…all this just seemed too good to be true.

"Well, I was thinking we'd just have a nice, quiet night. Watch a movie. Curl up on the couch until Jacob comes home. We never get to do that, you know? I just want to feel normal for once."

He nodded, completely understanding where she was coming from. He slid off the counter and caught her elbow, pulling her closer to him.

"You know, we don't have to keep doing this. We kept this to ourselves for over a month now and we can't keep this a secret forever anyways. Maybe it's time we tell everyone." He said carefully, not entirely sure what her reaction to this was going to be. He had tried on several occasions to bring this subject up and each time, she had stayed firm on her belief that they still needed more privacy. And as much fun as it was, sneaking around was starting to get a little old. He wanted to be a normal couple. He wanted to hold hands with her in public. He wanted to take her out on actual, real dates. She deserved that.

She fiddled nervously with a nearby kitchen rag as his suggestion hung in the air.

"You're right. I think we should tell everyone. Besides, I think Alice is starting to suspect something anyways so we might as well come clean before she calls us on it."

His eyebrows immediately shot up in surprise. "Really? Wow…I wasn't expecting…"

"What?"

"I don't know…I guess I didn't think you were ready quite yet…"

She nodded and leaned against the counter to face him more comfortably. "I'm sorry about that…I know I've been difficult about everything. I don't really know why I've been so adamant about keeping this charade up. It doesn't help that I haven't been feeling that well lately and I've just been a little off, you know? It's probably just because I can't fall back asleep after you leave every night. I think part of it too is just liking things the way they are, not letting everyone in just yet…it's comfortable and I'm a little afraid of what's going to happen once everyone knows about us."

He chewed on his bottom lip and nodded slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know…" She trailed off.

There were a few awkward moments of silence before Edward finally found his voice.

"You know you don't have anything to worry about, right? You know that once everyone knows about us, nothing is going to change. We're still going to be us, we can still sneak around the library, but just think how freeing it will be to be able to not have to look over our shoulders and worry about who might be watching us."

She smiled and tilted her face up to meet his lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you. You're right. You're absolutely right."

"When do you think we should tell them?"

She turned back to the stove to stir the sauce, her forehead creased in thought. "Well…how about next Saturday? That way you can just concentrate on your shows on Thursday and Friday and Alice is going to be bugging me anyway to go out with her since I didn't tonight…and I have a feeling that the fact we've kept this from them for six weeks will go down easier if they've all had a few drinks beforehand."

He had to chuckle at that. "You definitely have a point there. Saturday night it is."

She leaned forward again and he brought his lips down on hers again for a slow, lingering kiss that built-up passionate momentum. She begrudgingly pulled away to turn back to her food preparation.

He leaned down to sniff the sauce and a look of appreciation crossed his face. "That smells really good."

She smiled and gently pushed him away. "Hold on…it's almost done!"

Less than five minutes later, Edward was shoveling bite after bite into his mouth.

"Oh my fucking God, Bella…this is the best thing I've ever tasted. Holy shit…" He managed between mouthfuls.

Bella just smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the shoulder. His groans of pleasure were definitely a good sign and she was glad she could bring this much pleasure to him in another area as well.

After Edward was finished with his second helping, he insisted on doing the dishes since she had done the cooking.

"Hey, can you pop in that CD on the table over there?" Edward called from the kitchen.

She was just putting the CD in when she felt his arms wrap around her. He reached around her to hit play and pulled her back into his chest. As the song started to play, her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Jason Miraz? Really?"

He nodded, taking a step away from her to turn her around to face him. He slid a hand to the bottom of her waist and pulled her back into him as he began to sway with the music.

"He's not exactly my style, but this song…this song seems to sum up the way I feel about you." He whispered into her hair. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as they continued to rock to the music.

_Well you done done me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back_

Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest  
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention  
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm yours

"Is this cheesy? I mean, are you going to make fun of me for this for the rest of our lives?" He asked playfully with his face still buried in her hair.

She shook her head. "No, no…a little cheesy, yes…but this is actually pretty romantic too…well done."

He lifted his head and smirked at her. "Thanks."

He picked up the rhythm until they were more in time with the beat and spun her around before dipping her in his arms. She tipped her head back and laughed, silently memorizing this moment and knowing that next to when he had first said he loved her, was the most romantic moment of her life.

Well open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing  
We're just one big family  
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm sure  
There's no need to complicate, our time is short  
This is our fate, I'm yours

But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm yours

He spun her around again, this time bringing her back closer to him and he gripped her waist a little tighter.

"I don't think I've ever told you this before but I'm actually a pretty good dancer when I want to be."

She laughed again and bit her lip. "I noticed."

He grinned down at her. "But I'll bet you didn't know that I've never danced, I mean really danced, like this with anyone but you."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really?"

He nodded with a smirk. "Prom and right now...that's it. I guess I was just holding out for you."

She smiled softly. "Now _that's _cheesy."

He laughed and leaned down to catch her lips in a quick kiss as the song started to wind down.

Come on and open up your mind and see like me  
(I won't hesitate)  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
(No more, no more)  
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours  
(It cannot wait, I'm sure)

So please don't, there's no need  
(There's no need to complicate)  
There's no need to complicate  
(Our time is short)  
'Cause our time is short  
(This is our fate)  
This is, this is, this is our fate  
I'm yours

Oh, I'm yours  
Oh, I'm yours  
Oh, whoa, baby you believe I'm yours  
You best believe, best believe I'm yours

He spun her around one last time as the music faded out.

"Thanks for the dance." She smiled up at him.

He squeezed her hand before turning off the stereo. "Now…the question of the hour is…what movie are you going to make me suffer through?"

She laughed good-naturedly at that and gently shoved him toward the couch before plopping down on his lap, pecking him lightly on the cheek.

"Oh come on…you know we're not going to really watch it anyway…"

"Hmm…" he nodded. "Good point…"

* * *

**So being that it's been awhile since I've updated, I figured I'd start with a little smut and end it with something sweet. Overall, I wanted to show the different aspects of their relationship (and that it's not just about sex for them too) and give you guys a chapter a generally angst-free chapter. **

**If you're still around, leave me a review and let me know what you thought!!**


	17. Mr Brightside

**Sorry for the long wait...as usual, my stupid real life got in the way and stalled this story a little. So because you guys waited so long, I have a super-long, action-packed chapter for ya...hope you like.**

BLEEDING LOVE

_Coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this?  
It was only a kiss _

Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag  
Now they're going to bed  
Now my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his chest now  
He takes off her dress, now  
Let me go

'Cause I just can't look  
It's killing me  
And taking control

Jealousy  
Turning saints into the sea  
Turning through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
Cause I'm Mr. Brightside

"Mr. Brightside" by The Killers

Chapter Seventeen

By Thursday, Bella was starting to regret her decision. Saturday was only two days away and suddenly, that didn't seem like enough time. Life with Edward as she knew it was at an end and she could already feel a panic attack swelling in her chest. Even though she couldn't quite put her finger on the problem with this…since it would, after all, mean that they could finally be a normal couple like all their friends, they wouldn't have to work so hard to keep their relationship under wraps, they could just be themselves…there was something lingering, threatening to surface and she felt dumbstruck with fear at what would happen when it actually did break the surface.

Regardless of her uneasiness, she allowed herself to be dragged to the club that night, treading unhappily behind Rosalie and an annoyingly chatty Alice. Every once in a while, they asked for her opinion on something and she managed some kind of answer but her mind was floating elsewhere. In two days, she was finally going to get what she had been wanting for weeks now so why was she so completely terrified? Why wasn't she happy? Part of her desperately needed the answer to these questions but the other part of her had no interest in finding out because that would mean she would have to come to terms with whatever was making her feel this way. And she had zero interest in making life even more complicated than it already was right now.

Thankfully, the loud, pumping music was just the distraction she needed. She didn't need to think about all this right now anyways. Saturday would come soon enough but for now, she wanted to enjoy the last moments of peace she had before all hell broke loose.

Edward's husky voice floated around her and she shivered a little. Now _that_ would never change. Just the sound of his voice eased her tension and she hadn't even really seen him yet. Alice blazed the trail through the crowd, tugging Bella and Rose behind her and when Bella finally caught sight of Edward, she finally felt herself relax. That was all she needed. And seeing him up on stage, strumming his beloved guitar, beanie covering the mess of hair she couldn't wait to run her hands through, she was reminded of all the reasons why she loved him in the first place. He completed her. She completed him. In the end, wasn't that all that mattered? To hell with everyone else and what they thought.

At that moment, Edward nodded to them and winked. He always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and knew exactly what to do not only get her heart racing but calm her nerves as well. When Bella turned back to the bar to retrieve her drink, she found Alice standing right in front of her, head tilted thoughtfully, and her eyes deeply curious.

Bella felt her heart tighten in her chest and was about to offer some weak excuse when Alice simply grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her over to a free stool at the bar. Jacob had already placed their drinks in front of him and nodded to them before turning back to his waiting customers.

Alice hoisted herself up on the stool and patted the one next to her.

"Bella…get over here, I need to talk to you about something." Alice yelled over the screech of Edward's guitar riff.

For a split second, she thought the jig was up. Alice had caught on to their little game and was going to officially call her on it and with Edward only twenty feet away from her, with that smirk she knew was meant just for her, she knew she wouldn't be able to deny it.

Fuck it. She shouldn't have to.

It was goddamn time and she had pretty good feeling Edward wouldn't mind.

Alice was still watching her expectantly and Bella quickly recovered, scooted herself onto the stool and braced herself for the inevitable, chanting in her head: _The truth will set you free, the truth will set you free…_

The boys had just started jamming out "Santeria" by Sublime and Alice started bobbing her head a little to the beat, obviously with no intention of putting Bella out her misery any time soon.

"I love when they play this song." Alice chirped, clapping along and bouncing in her chair.

"Alice…" Bella forced out through clenched teeth. That damn pixie was just messing with her now. Not cool, Alice, not cool.

"Oh right!" Alice blurted out, as if suddenly remembering what they were really supposed to be talking about.

She took Bella by the elbow and looked around before whispering lowly in her ear: "Bella, I had to wait until Rosalie wasn't around but…will you be my maid of honor?"

Bella blinked. She opened her mouth to speak but was way too shocked to form a simple response. A second ago, she had been prepared to confess all, to declare her undying love for Alice's brother, and then…now she was Alice's maid of honor? What?

"What?"

Alice frowned and tilted her head away, a look of concern and worry forming on her face. Bella immediately registered the change and quickly recovered, trying to mask her complete surprise.

She threw her arms around Alice and pulled her into her tightly.

"Of course I will…I just thought you were going to ask Rosalie…"

Alice just hugged her back. "What do you mean?"

Bella loosened her grip on Alice and shrugged. "I don't know…I guess I figured because Rosalie asked you, you would do the same thing for her…"

Alice smirked a little and shook her head. "Come on, Bella, really? You think I'd let Bridezilla over there in a position to control my wedding to the love of my life? No fucking way, Jose. We've all seen the way she gets and I'm not having it."

"Shit, Al—who's the Bridezilla, now?"

Alice laughed good-naturedly and swatted Bella's arm. "Seriously, though, Bella, I wanted it to be you. I love Rose to death but you're…you're my best friend and I want you to be my maid of honor."

At just like that, the whole thing was completely turned on its head. Bella felt her throat tightened and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. She wrapped an arm around Alice and squeezed her shoulders.

"Who is Jasper asking by the way?"

As soon as the words popped out of her mouth, she wanted to smack herself in the head.

"Edward." Was the nonchalant reply.

_Be cool, Bella…you just have to hold out until Saturday. Then you and Edward can tell everyone together. Be cool…_

"Oh." That was the best she could do.

Alice took a long pull from her straw and eyed her carefully. After an agonizing moment of silence, she looked back at Bella, her eyes shining.

"You know, Bella, you've been…different…lately. You seem a lot happier than you have been in a while…sometimes you look like you're glowing or something…I like it, Bella. Whatever made you this way…don't let it get away, alright?"

Bella's entire body froze. She knew exactly what Alice was saying and wasn't saying. She knew what this meant. Fuck, fuck, fuck. But before she even had a chance to consider a reasonable and coherent response to that, Edward's voice came floating over the speakers, effectively halting the direction their conversation had taken.

"Aright, everyone. It's that time of the night where I get to take a break and grab a drink. So without further delay, ladies and gentlemen, Bella Swan!"

Just the sound of her name coming from his lips was enough to make her quiver. She cast a quick smile to Alice, who just tipped her drink towards Bella and slid off the stool to head towards the stage. She pushed her way through the crowd and took Edward's hand as he helped her step on the stage. Shit, it was like they weren't even trying to hide it anymore. He grinned widely at her before handing her the microphone and hopped energetically down and over to the bar where Alice was waiting for him.

Bella could already feel the heat creeping into her cheeks, which only intensified when Edward threw her an intensely sexy lop-sided grin as he took a beer from Jacob.

"Well, what do you feel like singing tonight, Bella?" Emmett called out from behind the drums.

Hmm…she glanced one more time at Edward, immediately locking eyes with him. Now his gaze was pure lust. Pure, unadulterated lust. Well, if he was looking for a show, he was going to get it.

In a flash, she turned back to Emmett and whispered her choice to him, eliciting a deep laugh and a low chuckle from Jasper off to the side. As they started the slow, pulsing beats of the song, Bella was already gyrating her hips to the seductive beat. She didn't even need to look at Edward to know he was struggling to keep his jaw off the floor.

She smiled slyly in his direction before singing the opening lines:

_I'll never be your beast of burden  
My back is broad but it's a hurting  
All I want is for you to make love to me  
I'll never be your beast of burden  
I've walked for miles my feet are hurting  
All I want is for you to make love to me _

Am I hard enough  
Am I rough enough  
Am I rich enough  
I'm not too blind to see

At this point, she figured she already had him hook, line, and sinker. She swung her hips low to the ground and then all the way back up and she could have swore she heard him groan as she continued to sing:

_I'll never be your beast of burden  
So let's go home and draw the curtains  
Music on the radio  
Come on baby make sweet love to me _

Am I hard enough  
Am I rough enough  
Am I rich enough  
I'm not too blind to see

His jaw was set tightly in a firm line and he was gripping the edge of the bar stool with white-rimmed knuckles. Bella could only smile to herself; she loved how strongly she seemed to effect him and that only intensified the effect he had on her. Out of sheer curiosity, she allowed her eyes to drift toward Alice and she had to bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Alice's eyes were wide with surprise, her eyebrows raised high in her forehead, and she was alternating between shaking her head and rolling her eyes. 

Oh little sister  
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, girl  
You're a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girl  
Pretty, pretty  
Such a pretty, pretty, pretty girl  
Come on baby please, please, please

I'll tell ya  
You can put me out  
On the street  
Put me out  
With no shoes on my feet  
But, put me out, put me out  
Put me out of misery

Ain't I rough enough, ooh baby  
Ain't I tough enough  
Ain't I rich enough, in love enough  
Ooh! Ooh! Please

She ground her hips back down to the floor, drawing out a few high-pitched whistles from the crowd and out of the corner of her eye, she immediately saw Edward's face darken. His eyes had left hers now and were searching out the source of the whistles, obviously taking mental note of whose ass he would be kicking after the set. She willed Edward to look at her again, and as if he could read her mind, his head snapped back to her and his face immediately softened. Yes, she definitely had the same effect on him as he did on her.

_  
I don't need no beast of burden  
I need no fussing  
__I need no nursing  
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be_

As the song wound down, she set the microphone back on the stand and waved goodbye to Emmett and Jasper before jumping off the stage. She couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading across her face when she caught sight of Edward again, her heart sputtering her chest when she realized that he hadn't yet moved from his spot at the bar; he was waiting for her.

He seemed to snap out of it as she drew closer because he set his beer down with a hard thud and started heading towards her. He had that lop-sided grin on his face now, the same one that made her stomach do cartwheels and her heart jump up into her throat. As he came towards her, he turned to the side, facing her, so that their chests brushed against each other as he past her, a sly smirk on his face. He leaned down to her ear and she shivered when she felt his hot breath.

"As soon as we get home, I am chaining you to the bed for the rest of the night. Understand?"

She could only nod, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and desire. He nodded to her and kept moving back up to the stage. His eyes hardly left hers for the rest of the night.

* * *

By the end of the night, Bella was practically bouncing in her seat with anticipation. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. The rest of the night seemed to pass way too slow and her leg was hopping up and down in impatient agitation. Did it always take them this long to clean up after a gig or was she just particularly anxious to get home?

Edward appeared next to her a moment later and she had her answer. One look at him and it was all she needed. Her heart fluttered a little at his sudden closeness and she could practically feel her legs spreading at the sight of him. That was just going to have to wait.

He sighed next to her and it was then that Bella really took a good look at his face. It was etched in frustration and exhaustion. Shit.

"Hey, listen," He whispered down to her. "They're making us stay later tonight to help tear our shit down…apparently, there's another act playing here tomorrow night. Anyways, do you think you could catch a ride home with Jacob? I don't want you to have to sit around here and wait for me…you might as well just go home…"

She nodded numbly, trying not-so-successfully to hide her growing disappointment at this fucking frustrating as hell situation. But as it seemed, there wasn't much she could do about it. All she wanted to do was go home and have sex with her boyfriend until she fell into an orgasm-induced coma. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently, it was.

Jacob appeared out of nowhere, his jaw set, and his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"I can give you a ride, Bells."

It wasn't lost on her that Jacob refused to look Edward in the eye. She felt her stomach drop into her calves when their eyes met again. Jacob was staring at her with such…disappointment…and she had no idea how she was supposed to feel about this. As it turned out, they hadn't had to wait until Saturday after all. Everyone seemed to be figuring it out on their own now. Whether that was a blessing or curse, she wasn't sure but she knew she would have to do something to keep Jacob from freaking out.

"Alright, Jacob…I'm ready whenever you are."

His jaw still tight, he bit out: "I'm ready."

If Edward sensed the tension in their exchange, he didn't show it. Instead, he nodded amiably to both her and Jacob before sliding off the bar stool and jogging back over to help Jasper and Emmett. Alice and Rosalie had long taken a cab home and now, it was just her and Jacob.

He didn't say a word to her as they walked out of the club and towards his car. He still hadn't said anything to her when they pulled out of the parking lot and out into the road. This shit was really starting to worry her…she had never seen him like this before, so quiet, so goddamn angry, gripping the steering wheel like his life depended on it.

Finally, just as the panic attack was about to set in, he growled out: "You're fucking him, aren't you?"

Her head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with shock and complete surprise. That was totally uncalled for but she knew she had to be careful. Jacob was upset, she had been expecting that, but still, she had not been prepared for _this_.

"It's not like that, Jake."

He snorted. "Like hell it's not."

She sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You don't know what you're talking about."

His head whipped around to face her, his eyes blazing with fury. "Bella, you guys were practically eye-fucking each other when you were up on stage tonight. Don't give me that bullshit. I know what I fucking saw."

She blew out a shaky breath. He must really be pissed; he only seemed to drop the f-bomb when he was really upset about something. She supposed this occasion warranted several f-bombs.

"Jacob…"

"Answer me, Bella."

His eyes were on fire now and she felt herself inch closer to her window to put more space between them. She had never felt this way around Jacob before…he had always made her feel so protected but now…she didn't know whether to be afraid of him or hit him.

She threw up her hands in defeat and spit out: "Alright, fine. Yes, Edward and I are together."

He snorted for the second time now and shook his head. "I can't believe this…I thought you were smart, Bella. I thought you, of all people, would be smart enough to know to stay the hell away from him. You've seen it, for Christ's sake! You've probably heard it too! How the fuck could you let this happen?"

Now he was starting to cross the line.

"Jacob, like I said, you don't know what you're talking about. It's not like that with him."

He laughed bitterly and shook his head again. "Sure I do. We've grown up with him, remember? Or have you forgotten what he does? Who he is? I can't…I can't understand why you would put yourself in this position…he's just using you, Bella."

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to keep herself from screaming at him. That wouldn't help anything.

"Jacob…I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Can we please just drop this?"

"Like hell we are! We are going to talk about this right fucking now because you need to understand what you're doing. You know how he is with women. He doesn't keep them around for very long, remember? How long have you been fucking him, Bella?"

"Don't say it like that." She growled through clenched teeth.

"How long?"

"I don't have to answer this."

"Bella…"

She sighed and ran a hand through her now-tangled hair. "About a month and a half now."

She heard him swear under his breath and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"And I suppose you sneak around behind my back all the time, right?"

"Jacob…" She warned.

"Fine, don't answer that. I don't really want to know anyways."

There was a short pause before he spoke again. Bella was too frozen with sheer anger to stop him.

"Bella…don't you think that maybe you're about to hit your expiration date? He doesn't keep women around for very long, the same one for that matter, and I don't want you to get hurt…he doesn't know how to be in a real relationship, Bella."

"He has been with me."

He snorted again. She was really started to loathe that noise. "Bullshit. Why have you guys been keeping this a dirty little secret then?"

She cringed at his description of her and Edward's relationship. Again, it was taking all of her willpower to not reach over and strangle him.

"Edward wanted to tell everyone as soon as it started but I wanted to keep it a secret."

Jacob's head whipped around to stare at her in shock. "What? Why did you…"

"That's none of your business, Jacob and I am done with this conversation."

Jacob gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "The hell it's not…goddamnit, Bella, you're one of my best friends and…I…I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm a big girl, Jake. I know what I'm doing."

"No, Bella…you need to understand…I'm not trying to piss you off but if that's what has to happen to give you a reality check, then I guess that's what has to happen. Bella…guys like Edward don't change…maybe it seems like he has, maybe it seems like he loves you…but has he ever done anything to make you think you're different from the rest? Has he ever told you he loves you?"

She didn't hesitate. "Yes, he has."

Jacob paused for a moment, his forehead creased deeply. "How do you know he doesn't say that to every girl he's with? I mean, seriously, Bella, how do you know everything he's been doing and saying to you isn't just the same old game for him?"

"Because he told me that it's different. He's told me he doesn't want anyone else, Jacob, that's how I fucking know." She snapped back.

"But how do you know for sure? How do you know it's not just a matter of time before he gets sick of you? Bored with you? It's happened with every other girl he's been with, what makes you different?"

"He loves me, I know he does." Now tears were started to form and she angrily brushed one away. She pleaded with him silently to just forget this, to just shut the fuck up, to just go back to being the Jake she knew and loved.

When that didn't seem to work, she knew she had to try a different tactic.

"Jacob…can't you just be happy for me? I know you and Edward have had your differences in the past but…I love him, Jake. I've loved him for a long time and he feels the same way. He treats me like a fucking princess and you'd see that if I hadn't been such an idiot and wanted to keep it a secret. I know he's changed. I know it. There's no possible way he could hold me or kiss me or love me the way he does if he didn't. Just please…just be happy for me."

His face softened for only a moment at the sight of her tears but all sympathy for her was gone in a flash. A dark fury was brimming in his eyes, exploding into his face, and skimming down into his hands, which held the steering wheel in an iron clad death grip. He wasn't going to let this go that easy.

"Bella…" He began shakily. "Whatever he told you, whatever he did to fool you, it's just all a big fucking lie. You know that. Deep down, you know. He's probably fucking three girls on the side right now and…"

He couldn't finish that abomination because she swung a hand out and slapped it from his mouth. He abruptly swung his car over to the curb and furiously flung the gear into park. He was panting, his face turning a frightening shade of red, and when she actually dared to take a closer look at his features, she recoiled at the sight. His jaw was fucking _trembling _with fury. For the first time in all the years she had known him, she was genuinely and shockingly terrified of her former friend. He must have felt her eyes on him because his head snapped up suddenly, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Jacob…I don't understand what's just happened here but I'll tell you this: if I ever hear you fucking say as much as his _name _in an negative way, I swear to God, I'll…I'll…just stay the fuck away from me, understand? Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me."

Before he could even respond to her, she threw the door open and jumped out as fast as her flailing limbs could take her. She started walking aimlessly down the street, just anywhere but their apartment. That was the absolute last place she wanted to go. There was no fucking way she was going to alone in an apartment with him now. Not without Edward there.

His car pulled up next to her and he already had the window rolled down, his eyes pleading apologetically with her.

"Bella…I'm sorry. Please, just get back in the car and let me take you home."

"Fuck off, Jacob." She spat back at him.

He swore under his breath and threw her another pleading glance. "Please, Bella. I can't just leave you out here by yourself."

"Yeah, well, you should have thought of that before you decided to tear my relationship with Edward to shreds."

"I'm just trying to be a good friend, Bella…"

"I said fuck off, Jacob!" She screamed.

She kept walking, refusing to look at him, and only winced slightly when his tires squealed off in the opposite direction. A ghost of a curse passed from her lips as she took a hurried look around her. Maybe letting Jacob drive off without her was a bad idea.

With an exasperated sigh, she contemplated who to call. If she called Edward, he would ask questions. And she didn't want to answer his questions. Although Jacob deserved the inevitable ass-kicking he was sure to receive from Edward, she still felt a surge of protectiveness for him. God, she was such a fucking doormat. But, just because she didn't want him to get the shit beat out of him, didn't mean she was going to forgive him.

So…Alice it was. Besides, she didn't think she could sleep in the same vicinity as Jacob, even if Edward was sleeping next to her. It was fucking tainted now.

"Hello?" Came the groggy response from Alice.

"Hey Alice…look, could I crash at your place tonight? I'll explain everything later and…I need you to come get me."

"What?"

"I'm not kidding. I'm standing outside, in the dark, muggers and rapists abound, and you need to get here and rescue me from this immediately. If I get raped, murdered, and/or stolen, it's all your fault."

Alice blew out a loud sigh over the phone. "Geez…simmer down, Bella. Um…sure, I guess. But the only problem is, Jasper has my car at the club. Oh wait! He texted me, like, a second ago to say he was going to drop Edward off before he came home. He can just swing by and bring you back with him. I'll let him know, ok, Bella?"

Shit.

"Bella? What's wrong…what happened?"

That made her snap out of it a little. "Oh…nothing. I'll tell you when I get to your place. That's fine. Tell Jasper I'll be waiting outside the apartment."

She flipped her phone back in her purse with a frustrated sigh. Well, she might as well start walking back towards her apartment, at least she'd be in a familiar neighborhood then.

Damn Jacob to fucking hell. Why did he have to such a prick? Nothing he said was even close to the truth and it pissed her off to no end. Weren't they supposed to be friends? Wasn't he supposed to happy that she was finally with the love of her life and happy as hell? Wasn't he supposed to happy that said love of her life treated her like a goddess? What happened to them? Everything, all the good times, all the bad times he helped her through, all of their memories, their closeness, their bond, his calming effect on her…was all gone now. Destroyed in the span of fifteen fucking minutes.

She sighed again and picked up the pace a little. A nagging, annoying ache was pricking her in the stomach. Huh. When the hell did that start? Maybe it was just the lingering after effects of her verbal battle with Jacob.

It felt like tiny little needles poking her from the inside out and she subconsciously began rubbing the spot, even though it didn't do any good. It felt a little like period cramps but that couldn't be it. The dull, irritating ache was making her uncomfortable as hell and it was just making the wait for Jasper and Edward to show all the more excruciating. Still rubbing her stomach, she pushed all thoughts of that particular discomfort out of her mind to gear up for a different kind of discomfort as her apartment building came into sight. Jasper's car was just pulling up. Perfect fucking timing.

Her pace quickened as Edward threw open the car down and began walking towards her, his face a complete mask, his hands shoved haphazardly in his pockets, and his eyes burning with questions and worry. She knew he was going to want answers. But she couldn't give them to him just yet, especially not in front of Jasper.

When he reached her, he kept his hands safely tucked in his pockets, probably to stop himself from reaching out and crushing her to him right in front of Jasper.

"What's going on, Bella? Why are you out here by yourself? Where the fuck is Jacob?"

It was impossible not to notice the way he spat out their former friend's name with pure venom.

Her eyes darted worriedly behind him to Jasper, who was still inside the car but observing every move they made.

"It's not a big deal…alright? I'm going to stay over at Alice's tonight so…"

His forehead creased at that in obvious confusion. Of course it was a big deal. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to admit the atrocities Jacob had just committed against everything she held sacred. Edward would tear him limb from limb if he found out and she was too tired, too distracted by this stupid pain in her stomach, too worried about someone who didn't deserve it, to let it happen tonight.

"Bella, you need to tell me what's going on." He whispered firmly.

She had to lie…she had to tell him something to appease him, so he would just drop it.

"Alice asked me to be her maid of honor tonight and she wanted help with some wedding stuff right away so I figured I'd just stay the night."

His eyes narrowed a little and his arms crossed over his chest. "Why were you out here by yourself in the middle of the fucking night?"

Oh right. That.

"I left my coat in Jake's car so I ran out here to get it before you guys got here."

That was easy enough. She was holding her coat in her hand. He would have to believe that.

Several emotions flickered over his features so fast she couldn't quite get a read on him. Finally, he nodded slowly and shoved his hands back into his pockets. He tilted his head to the side and sent her that lop-sided grin that not only made her heart flutter, but sent a wave of reassurance to her too.

"Are you okay?"

But the more important question in his eyes was: _Are we okay?_

She smiled warmly and nodded quickly in response. That was all he needed to reassure him.

* * *

"Seriously, Bella, what the hell is going on?"

Alice practically pounced on her when she came through the door. The sudden bombardment was a shock, considering her ride over with Jasper had been filled with nothing but awkward silence and that stupid, dull ache in her stomach. She never thought she would be so relieved to hear that high-pitched pixie squeal.

Jasper, bless him, immediately sensed that a massive girl talk was coming on and quickly excused himself to their bedroom, where he would mostly likely be for the rest of the night.

Bella barely had a chance to get in the door before Alice was tugging on her arm like a four-year-old.

"Bella! What happened? What's wrong?"

Bella sighed exasperatedly and flopped down on the couch. In a flash, Alice was at her side, waiting expectantly for a much-deserved explanation.

Well, it was now or never. If she couldn't tell Edward, she had to talk to _someone _about what had happened. And she had a feeling Alice would understand.

"Alice…I have to tell you something and I'm not sure how you're going to take it but…"

She trailed off, suddenly feeling herself clam up at the imminent confession.

"Bella, you can tell me." Alice pressed, leaning a little closer to her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, deciding to just blurt it out before she could chicken out.

"Edward and I have been seeing each other for over a month."

Her eyes flew worriedly to Alice, who was just sitting calmly next to her, waiting for her to continue.

"So…"

Alice rolled her eyes. "So, tell me something I don't know, Bella. What happened tonight?"

Bella froze, her mouth opening slightly in complete shock. "You knew?"

She just scoffed and waved a hand in dismissal. "Of course I knew. Everyone knows, Bella. We were just waiting for the two of you to stop being such assholes and tell us already. I mean, if I wasn't sure before, I definitely am now after tonight at the club…God…"

"So you're not pissed?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course I'm fucking pissed at you. You're in love. Edward's in love. Anyone can see that. And I would have thought you would've at least told _me_ but we can discuss that later. Now…what the fuck happened tonight, Bella? Did Edward do something…?"

Bella shook her head furiously, her hand moving subconsciously to her stomach and trying in vain to rub out the pain there. Why did everyone automatically assume Edward had done something wrong? Why didn't they see what she saw?

Alice, however, immediately picked up on Bella's discomfort. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…my stomach's just been bothering me…it's fine…anyways…when Jacob took me home tonight, he asked me point blank if Edward and I were 'fucking', as he so nicely put it, and then he kept saying fucking awful things about Edward and about how he's probably fucking girls on the side and he's just using me…"

She was reliving that horrible experience again and a new batch of tears welled up in her eyes and traitorously slipped down her cheeks.

Alice smiled supportively and rested her hand reassuringly on Bella's arm. "Shit…I figured he'd be upset as soon as he figured it out but I never thought he'd be so…"

"Brutal?" Bella offered.

"Yeah, something like that." Alice sighed. "So…do you believe him?"

Bella's head snapped up, her eyes glinting. "Of course I don't. I know Edward doesn't have…the best past…but it's different. The way he looks at me, Alice, he loves me. I know he does…I'm sorry we kept it from everyone. That was a huge mistake."

Alice sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "We can talk about _that_ later. But it's like I told you at the club, Bella, I'm just glad to see you so happy for once. And I'm glad my douche of brother finally snapped out of it. You guys were absolutely unbearable for awhile there…I thought you were going to kill each other before you could finally slept together."

Bella smirked, feeling overwhelmingly glad she decided to spend the night with Alice tonight. She always had a way of making her feel better, of making her see the silver lining in everything, and tonight was no exception. As much as she hated to leave Edward, to worry him, she needed this.

She winced involuntarily at a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen and a wave of nausea rushed over her.

"Bella?" Alice touched her arm worriedly. "Everything alright?"

She just nodded and quickly headed for the bathroom, having absolutely no idea where that pain came from. It was very different to what had been bothering her over the last few hours and her legs suddenly felt shaky and weak as she stumbled over to the bathroom.

She frantically shut the door behind her, even though she could hear Alice nervously pacing on the other side, and hurriedly sat down, pulling her jeans down with her. Her blood ran cold at what she saw just as another sharp pain rippled through her abdomen. Her underwear, the inside of her pants legs, and her thighs were caked with blood. She doubled over in pain as a weak scream fell from her lips.

Alice was at her side in a second, her hands moving wildly from Bella's legs to her stomach and she screamed desperately for Jasper. She hugged Bella's shaking form to her tightly as Jasper rushed inside, skidding to a halt when he saw the two girls trembling on the floor, Alice's eyes wide with terror, holding Bella to her chest, and Bella…he knew the sight of her was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. She was shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down her pale, horror-stricken face, and the blood…there was just so much of it in one, condensed area.

"Call an ambulance!" Alice was screaming to him now. "Call Edward! Tell him to get the hospital…go, Jasper!"

He hesitated for only a second before he snapped out of his shocked daze and sprinted for his phone.

Alice turned back to Bella and pushed the hair out of her face, wrapping her arms around her shaking friend more tightly.

"It's going to be ok, Bella, I promise. We're going to get you to the hospital…Edward's coming…you're going to be ok…"

Bella nodded numbly as another sharp pain erupted in her abdomen and her eyes rolled back in her head. Then everything went black.

* * *

**I know, I know...I'm evil as shit for leaving it there. But it had to be done. **

**I know some of you were worried about Bella being pregnant...I guess you got your answer, right?**

**Anyways, on a different note:**

**I have some bad news for fans of "The Miseducation of Bella Swan" out there...it's going to be discontinued for awhile. If I do end up going back to it, it probably won't be until at least the summer. Like I told my wonderful, understanding beta, brighteyes87, it turns out that the last thing I want to do when I come home from teaching is write about teaching. So that being said, I have some other news for you--I am completely and fully committed to finishing this story and as soon as it is, I will be starting another one (even though it's going to be much different from TMoBS). If you want, I will start leaving little teasers at the end of chapters for this story...let me know--I'll probably need some help coming up with a title anyways, so I'll definitely need your input! **

**So, if you want to chat about my new story and help me come up with a title, just send me a PM. I'm also up for it! Haha...**

**I hope you're not too mad at me but taking on two stories was probably a bad idea and I guess one was going to lose steam eventually. Besides, we've all spent too much time with this one to not see it through. But...if there's anyone out there that would be interesting in adopting TMoBS, just let me know. **

**Sorry for the long note, but I had some explaining to do. As always, I hope you liked the update and please leave me a review!!**


	18. The Scientist

BLEEDING LOVE

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry  
You don't know how lovely you are  
I had to find you, tell you I need you  
And tell you I set you apart  
Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions  
Oh let's go back to the start  
Running in circles, coming in tails  
Heads on a science apart_

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures  
Pulling your puzzles apart  
Questions of science, science and progress  
Do not speak as loud as my heart  
And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me  
Oh and I rush to the start  
Running in circles, chasing tails  
Coming back as we are_

"The Scientist" by Coldplay

Chapter Eighteen

His damned legs couldn't get him there fast enough. He was tearing through the hospital parking lot now, adrenaline keeping him breaking down and collapsing before he even got to her. He couldn't see straight, everything was just one big, fucking, blur and all he saw was her…pools of brown, swimming with tears, crying out in pain, calling his name and he wasn't there. He wasn't fucking there. He had to get there.

A new, more heightened, more intense wave of panic hit him full force and his chest was tightening dangerously. He was practically fucking hyperventilating but that didn't stop him as he darted around a car, narrowly missing it. He never should have let her leave. He never should have let her get in the car with Jasper. He never should have let her leave with Jacob.

It just didn't make any fucking sense. He had seen her only an hour before and he had sensed something was wrong with her but not _physically_ wrong with her. What the fuck had happened? There was another image of her burning through his head…she was staring wide-eyed at him in Jasper's passenger seat, she was wincing a little…like she was in pain…fuck, whatever it was, it had been starting then and she still left, she still pulled away from him and left. Why did she leave? She had to have known something wasn't quite right…it was there in her eyes only a fucking hour ago.

He tore at his hair as the entrance to the ER came into view and pushed another sob back down into his throat. His phone was vibrating in his pocket and for a half-crazed moment, he considered smashing it on the ground. It was probably Alice or Jasper, telling him yet again, to get to the ER. But they couldn't tell him anything because they didn't know anything.

Jasper had just sputtered into the phone, something about Bella and blood, which had made his heart drop into his fucking knees and then he was practically sobbing into the phone, near-hysterical, gasping about Alice riding in an ambulance with Bella, about blood, blood on their bathroom floor, blood on Bella's legs, Bella unconscious on their bathroom floor, Alice screaming…more blood, blood, blood…Bella…

This time, he couldn't stop the sob. It came out in one desperate gasp and in his distraught state, he tore through entrance, forcing the sliding doors open and immediately choked out a plea for his father, Jasper, Alice, or anyone who would be able to tell him where to go, where to find her.

They must have known he was coming because a nurse was at his side in a heartbeat, pointing towards the waiting room, that fucking awful waiting room, the exact same one where he sat for fucking hours holding Bella's hand, waiting to hear if his father was going to live or not and now, here he was, in the exact same place but without his lifeline. This time, she was the one fighting, she was the one in there by herself and where the fuck was he?

He turned the corner and felt himself sink even deeper at the sight of his sister. Alice was curled tightly into Jasper's side, clinging to him for dear life with black streaks streaming down her face and Jasper was stroking her hair, whispering something to her. He wanted to just curl up into a ball on the floor right there and die.

Alice's head jerked up and she launched herself from Jasper and onto Edward, flinging her arms around his neck. He embraced for only a moment, to give her the comfort she needed but then hurriedly pulled her arms down to meet her eyes.

"Alice, what the fuck happened? Where is she? Is she alright? What happened, Alice?"

His eyes were searching hers for some sign of hope, some sign that Bella would be alright, that he wasn't going to lose her before he had had the chance to really have her.

Fresh tears welled up in his sister's eyes and he swallowed forcefully to keep his own at bay.

"Edward..." she whispered. "I don't know…I heard her scream in the bathroom and then there was just so much blood…we got her here as soon as we could but we haven't heard anything from the doctors yet. They won't tell us anything!"

She buried her face in Jasper's shirt and he wrapped a strong arm around her.

Edward let out an anguished breath and sank into the nearest chair, his head falling in his hands. His nervous fingers pulled through his hair as another wave of helplessness and panic pierced through him. So all they could do now was wait? That was it? The knot forming in his stomach tightened and he tore at his hair again, swearing under his breath. What could he do?

The rushed click of footsteps swept him out of his despair and he jerked himself up from the chair as he saw his father running towards him, his forehead creased with worry and anxiety.

"Edward! Alice…I heard Bella was here. Have you spoken to a doctor yet?" Carlisle said breathlessly.

Alice just shook her head. Edward was too numb to respond.

Carlisle cast his son a concerned glance before nodding. As he turned to head back towards the emergency room, he called out: "I'm going to find out what's going on."

The only thing Edward could do after that was fall back into his chair and let his head fall back into his hands. There was nothing else he could do.

Several agonizing minutes later, a doctor in blue scrubs appeared from behind the emergency room doors, followed by Carlisle, his jaw clenched tightly.

Edward flew up from his chair, almost toppling it over and took a few swift steps to the close the distance between them, Jasper and Alice close on his heels.

The doctor nodded politely to all three of them before turning his attention directly to Edward. He felt his heart stop.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Whitehouse…I'm overseeing Bella Swan's treatment. Are you Edward… her boyfriend?"

He could only nod.

Dr. Whitehouse nodded carefully before folding his hands in front of him. "I see…she's been asking for you."

His head dipped lower and he felt like someone had just sucker-punched him right in the stomach. He felt Jasper's hand clamp down on his shoulder supportively, probably to keep him upright, and his vision was blurring again as the doctor began to speak again.

Dr. Whitehouse cleared his throat. "She's going to be alright...but…she had a miscarriage. That's what caused her cramping and the bleeding…she's lost a fair amount of blood but she'll recover…she's unconscious right now…"

The doctor was still speaking but Edward couldn't hear him. It was as if he was underwater, everything was murky and he was cold, numb, his hearing going in and out like static on the radio, just white noise, and everything, the hallway, his father, Alice, Jasper, the doctor, everything seemed like it was spinning around him. He bent over, his hands landing on his knees, and his breath was coming in harsh gasps, his head falling in between his knees.

Carlisle was at his side in a second, gripping his shoulders and forcing him back up. Dr. Whitehouse rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip.

"I take it you weren't aware of the pregnancy?"

Edward could only shake his head. His body wouldn't permit him any more movement.

"I don't think she was either." Alice whispered hoarsely.

Dr. Whitehouse nodded sadly and turned his gaze back to Edward, who had managed to stand upright with Carlisle's help.

"How did this happen?" Alice murmured.

Dr. Whitehouse sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Well, it could be a number of factors. No one knows exactly why it happens but things like alcohol, lifestyle, hormones, genetics, anything can trigger it…stress especially…has she been under any major stress recently?"

Edward was about to open his mouth to answer him but Alice did it for him.

"Oh my God…last night…she had a horrible fight with Jacob…he figured it out with you and her, Edward…he all but called her a slut and told her you were just using her. She was so upset last night…I can't remember the last time I saw her that torn apart…

As all the air left his lungs, he dropped heavily to his knees. His body lurched forward, somehow his hands found the cold tiled floor and he threw his head down in front of him. He couldn't see, there was just a swirl of color and movement around him…red…lots of red…his legs shook underneath him as he felt several pairs of arms pull him back up to his feet. And then, in an instant, a new emotion consumed him, flooding through him like a tidal wave: a pure, unadulterated desire to murder.

Carlisle shook him as his breathing dangerously sped him and he heard someone calling his name.

"Edward! Edward…snap out of it! You can deal with that later…Bella…remember, Bella…"

Yes, remember Bella. That's all that matters right now. Just make sure she's alright.

"Is she…does she…can I see her?" He whispered, his voice breaking.

"She's resting right now. But you can see her if you'd like." Dr. Whitehouse responded faintly.

He didn't stay to hear what else the doctor had to stay. He just turned on his heel and fled down the hall, to her, to where he should have been all along. The hallway, the floor, the passing nurses and doctors, everything blurred until he was standing in at the doorway of Bella's room. His feet felt heavy now and he swallowed forcefully as he hesitantly peered inside, not knowing what he would find or what to expect.

He shuffled uneasily into the room, the sick smell of hospital washing over him, making him feel even more nauseous than he already was at the sight of Bella lying there on a hospital bed.

She was sleeping. He felt a little relieved about that; for one, at least in her sleep, she didn't seem to be in any pain. And now he had some time for everything to sink in and figure out where the hell to go from here. But then, as he inched closer, he didn't feel so relieved anymore. She was so pale. So sickeningly pale. It made him want to tear his hair out. For the tenth time since he had gotten to the hospital, he couldn't stop the wave of helplessness and desperation that engulfed him. There was nothing he could do. Nothing he could say to make this better. All he could do was wait.

He pulled a chair as close up to her bed as possible and fell into it with a heavy sigh. A hand tugged roughly through his already mess of hair, his eyes unable to look away from Bella's sleeping form next to him. His fingers brushed her knuckles and he wrapped his hand firmly around hers, hoping she would know he was finally there.

His eyes drifted to her flat stomach and his heart tightened in his chest. He sighed again as his hand, as if it had a will of its own, brushed against the fabric of her hospital gown. His entire hand was splayed out on her stomach and he swallowed anxiously at the thought of what had been there but was gone.

He had no idea how he was supposed to feel about this. There could've been no way he could've known she was pregnant, but, at second thought, her tiredness and nausea had been a sign. She probably had had no idea either. Did she know now? Had she been conscious enough for Dr. Whitehouse to tell her she'd lost a baby she hadn't even known about? Had she cried? Had she called for him and he wasn't there?

Better yet, what the fuck would they have done with a baby? He could barely take care of himself sometimes…how would he have managed with a child? How did that even happen in the first place? Bella was back on the pill…shit…that first time, their first time…they hadn't used a condom and he had pretty good idea she hadn't had the foresight to start taking it again. They had been so overwhelmed with what they were doing, that they were finally together, accepting the feelings they had been hiding for too long…neither one had stopped to actually think. Well, that probably explained it. And yet, if that really was the case, he felt another sharp tug on his heart…the baby had been the product of the consummation of their relationship. It was gone now.

He didn't know how to feel about that. Should he be relieved that they wouldn't have to worry about all the responsibility and life changes that came with starting a family? That they were way too young…and had plenty of time for that. Sure, he had let himself fantasize about marrying Bella, enjoying being married to Bella, and starting a family with her…but in that order. They had only been together for less than two months and he was positive neither one of them was ready for that quite yet. But the future was there. Lingering on the horizon of the life he wanted with her. So what if maybe it would've been earlier and sooner than either or them wanted…he knew, deep down, that if Bella had remained pregnant, if this tragedy hadn't happened, they would have found a way to make it work. It would've been difficult, no doubt, especially since their relationship was still so new, but he would've married her in a heart beat. And if he was being completely honest with himself, he knew it was still true, baby or no baby. He would marry her in a heart beat. He'd do it right here, with her still lying in the hospital bed if she wanted.

This only made the shock of losing the baby he didn't even know he had all that more stinging. And before he could stop himself, his mind was flooded of images of Bella in the same hospital bed, but smiling, holding their baby in her arms. Of him running down the hall, throwing cigars around, shouting to the world that he was the father of the world's most beautiful baby girl. He was sure her eyes would've been that deep mahogany, the very same eyes of her mother, and he knew she would've had the same long, bouncing curls that Bella had; maybe she would've been more coordinated…a little un-Bella in that way at least…maybe he would've taught her to play the guitar or piano if she wanted…he saw himself, Bella, and their little girl on a swing set, in their backyard, play-dates with the rest of his family's children…him chasing away boy after boy that were sure to fall madly in love with her, if she was anything like her mother. And then he saw her face…so clearly, as if she was sitting right in front of him, sweet, chubby cheeks, wide brown eyes, fuzzy hair, the mirror image of Bella when she was a baby, and then, just like that, she was gone.

Then he thought of what had happened only hours before. That lying, sniveling, back-stabbing, self-righteous bitch Jacob was the reason Bella was lying in a hospital bed. If he hadn't been such a complete bastard and confronted her about something that didn't really concern him, this wouldn't have fucking happened. He had known Jacob was nothing but a jealous asshole who had been trying to upstage him for years…but to confront Bella like that…to leave her on the side of the road in the middle of the fucking night like she was some slut he picked up on the street…there was no coming back from that. No forgiveness. Zero tolerance. Jacob was as good as dead to him now.

Why hadn't Jacob just confronted him? He would've gladly taken the punches Jacob would have surely thrown, and given a few back, if it meant keeping Bella out of it. Why had Jacob thought it was necessary to rip everything apart, to practically verbally abuse her and upset her so much that she…

He blinked back the few stray tears all these thoughts were pulling up and he shook his head furiously. This was just going to make him go insane. That was never going to happen. All chance of that was gone now…but he was determined to make it happen again, when they were ready, when they were married and in a place where they could support and take care of a child…he would make it happen again.

He didn't know how long the road to healing would be for them; it was going to take time and he assumed there were many long, sleepless nights ahead of them as they talked through everything that had happened and their impending future. But he knew they would work through it; it would just take some time…and he was willing to give Bella anything she needed as long as it ended with them together, like it should be.

A quiet knock at the door catapulted him from his thoughts and his head shot up to meet the weary, concerned eyes of his father. He sighed again and dipped his head lower to brush his lips against Bella's hand before looking back up at his father.

"How are you holding up, son?" Carlisle asked softly.

"How do you think?" He whispered back.

Carlisle sighed as he walked around Bella's bed to stand beside his son and rested a hand supportively on Edward's shoulder.

"She's going to be alright, Edward…it seems like her body went into shock more than anything…" He paused before continuing again. "Sometimes…these things just happen and no one really knows how or why…it's not anyone's fault…"

Edward's head shot up, his eyes burning. "Like hell it's not."

Carlisle squeezed Edward's shoulder a little harder in warning. "Edward…don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

Carlisle sighed again. "Do you want to call Charlie or should I?"

He looked up at his father in confusion and then realized what he was really getting at. He didn't know if that was a call he was ready or willing to make, especially since Charlie had no idea they were together, but it was still his place and his responsibility to Bella to make the call.

"I'll do it."

Carlisle nodded. "Well, you should do it now while she's still sleeping. It's a good thing he's the Chief of Police because he'd get probably be pulled over ten times on the way here…"

Edward couldn't laugh at Carlisle's lame excuse at lightening up the situation. He just couldn't laugh at anything right now.

His father seemed to recognize this and cleared his throat. "I'll wait here with Bella while you make the call."

Edward just nodded and forced himself up from his chair, his heart throbbing at the thought of having to be away from her. He didn't want to leave her ever again but this had to be done. And he had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be pretty. Far from it.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately felt groggy and disoriented. This wasn't her bedroom…it definitely wasn't Edward's bedroom…oh right…she groaned and squeezed her eyes shut again. Reality wasn't something she was ready to face quite yet. Not after last night. Not after everything that had happened.

Her throat was parched and she swallowed nervously as she heard a chair scraping on the floor. Was he here? Did they tell him?

A cool hand grazed her forehead and her eyes opened again to meet the worried gaze of Carlisle. Shit.

"Bella?" He peered down at her. "How are you feeling?"

She winced as she tried to sit up. Carlisle immediately jumped up to help her situate herself more comfortably against the pillows and he drew her blanket up around her, tucking it in at the sides.

"I've been better, I guess." She murmured. Truth be told, she kind of felt like she'd been hit by a truck.

He smiled wistfully, glancing towards the doorway like he was looking for something.

"Is he here?" She whispered.

Carlisle nodded and squeezed her hand supportively. "He's on the phone with your dad."

Bella groaned and ran a hand over her face. Great. Just what she needed.

"Bella…he had to know…and Edward wanted to be the one to tell him."

She swallowed nervously, playing with the edge of the blanket absent-mindedly. "So…that means he knows, right?"

Carlisle just nodded again. She figured there wasn't much else he could say. What could he? _Sorry you lost my first grandchild, Bella…don't worry, we won't hold it against you._

It had been a shock, no doubt, when doctor what's-his-name told her she was having a miscarriage. She couldn't cry, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak…she was just numb to everything, numb to the pain, numb to the feeling of losing something she hadn't known she had even had…it was all too much to deal with in the span of a few hours and it wasn't something she wanted to think about just yet. It was easier to pretend that it hadn't happened. That she hadn't been pregnant with Edward's baby. That she hadn't lost it. That it wasn't gone.

And then, reality was staring right back at her.

Edward was lingering in the doorway, cellphone in hand, his lips parted as if he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. His hair was in complete disarray, like he had been ravaging it all night, and she figured he probably had, and he looked so tired; his eyes were sunken in and he had purple-tinged bags under his eyes. He was a mess but she guessed must look worse to him. Lying in a hospital bed, feeling weak and helpless…

He was moving closer to her now and she barely noticed when Carlisle excused himself to give them some privacy. He sank down onto the bed and immediately grasped out for her hand, rubbing and squeezing her knuckles with as much love and reassurance that he could give her.

"Are you…I mean, is there any…are you…" he trailed off, fumbling for the right way to say what he needed but she knew what he meant.

"I'm alright, Edward," she whispered hoarsely. "It doesn't really hurt…I just feel really tired…really weak…"

He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. He rested his forehead against hers before his lips started leaving a trail from her forehead to her jaw, giving her exactly what she needed. She needed to feel loved. She needed to feel like this wasn't her fault. That there wasn't anything she could've done. She needed to know that he still loved her and that nothing had changed between them. He knew that instinctively. It was practically a reflex for him, to sense what she needed and to give it to her.

"Edward, I…"

"Don't," he interrupted her firmly. "Don't apologize. You don't have to say anything. This…this is not your fault. Do you understand?"

His eyes were burning with determination, love, and something else she couldn't quite figure out and she couldn't do anything but nod silently.

"I love you, Isabella. I love you. And we're going to figure this out. Together."

The lump that had been building in her throat throbbed and she pushed it down forcefully. He was saying all the right things and doing everything she needed him to do but what about him? He lost something too last night and she could only imagine the pain and anguish he had been through, probably sitting in the waiting room pacing around like a mad man until he was finally let into her room. This whole thing must have put him through absolute hell but here he was, comforting her, loving her, reassuring her…and her heart swelled with a new wave of love for him.

"So you called Charlie?"

He nodded slowly as he bit his lip and forced a small smile.

"What did he say?"

Edward blew out a breath and ran his free hand through his hair. "He's on his way."

"Is he going to kill you?"

He chuckled and leaned forward to brush his lips against her knuckles. "Well…I don't know about that but he's just worried about you, Bella. The inevitable ass-kicking will probably come later."

She smiled easily and felt that lump creep back into her throat. She swallowed again and found him looking right back at her, his eyes still burning with a severe intensity.

"Edward…"

"Bella, we don't have to do this."

She shook her head sadly and squeezed his hand firmly. "No, we do. We need to do this."

"It doesn't have to be now." He murmured against her hand.

"If not now, then when? I just want you to know that I had no idea about the…I would've told you as soon as I found out but…"

He shot up and kissed her gently on the lips to stop her from speaking. Then he moved to her nose, her cheek, her chin, and finally stopping at her jaw before going back up to her lips.

"Bella…I know."

She shook her head again, pushing him away slightly to make him understand that there were some things she needed to say and that he needed to just shut up and listen to her.

"Edward, I don't know how to say this the right way so I'm just going to come out and say it. What if it was real? I mean…what if I was still pregnant? What would've happened?"

His heart clenched in his chest and his free hand balled up in a fist at his side. He knew exactly where she was going with this.

"What do you mean?"

"What would you have done if there was still going to be a baby?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his mess of hair. "You want me to be completely honest here, right?"

She nodded fearfully, feeling a new set of tears brimming under her lids. Here it comes. The inevitable. Might as well just get it over with now and spare them both the pain.

"I would've married you, Bella. I would've thrown you over my shoulder and carried you to the nearest church I could find. I still might…"

"Oh."

He sent her a lop-sided grin and then everything, all the doubts, the uncertainities, everything dissipated in an instant. There had been nothing to be concerned about. Nothing at all.

"I love you, Bella. And I would've loved the baby, too. Shit, Bella…you have no idea…I was going crazy tonight, I couldn't see you, they wouldn't tell me what was going on…I thought I was losing you forever…but then when the doctor told me…I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe…and then I started thinking about what our baby would've looked like…I think it would've been a little girl, she would've had your eyes, your hair…and I started thinking that it wouldn't have been so bad, you know? To have a little part of me and a little part of you running around. Maybe the timing isn't so great…but we would've found a way to make it work. And then I started to think, even though this time it didn't exactly work out…that I want that with you…I want to be married to you and have a family and a life with you…I want all of things, Bella. And I'm going to make it happen. Not tomorrow, obviously," he smirked. "But if you wanted to, you wouldn't have to ask me twice."

He reached up to brush away the stray tear that had slipped down her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"I love you, Bella. Nothing is ever going to change that."

She smiled through her tears. "You know, maybe if you told all that to Charlie, he'd want to kill you a little less."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully. "Maybe I'll have to do that."

Suddenly, frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway and into the room until Alice was breathlessly running into the room, with Jasper not far behind.

"Bella!"

Alice made a mad dash over to her friend, all but shoving Edward out of the way so she could get a closer look at Bella. Her hands were immediately in Bella's hair, smoothing away the craziness and rubbing away the traces of last night's leftover makeup.

"Bella, you look like hell!" Alice chirped out, wrapping her arms around her.

"Shit, Al, don't kill her. She's going to be fine." Edward chided to his irrepressible little sister.

He was about to yell at her for just barging in on them when Jasper tugged on his arm and pulled him into the corner, away from the girls.

Jasper cast a quick, anxious glance toward Bella before meeting Edward's worry-etched gaze.

"What?" He asked urgently.

"Emmett and Rosalie are on their way here and…look, don't freak out, but Jacob's on his way too."

It felt like all the blood in his body rushed directly to his face and his fists clenched and unclenched dangerously at his sides.

"What?" Edward spat out.

Jasper's head whipped around at the girls to make sure they didn't hear that but they were still chatting away carefree. He gripped Edward's arm a little tighter to force him to calm down.

"Emmett accidentally told him what happened…I guess Jacob called him to find out what was going on since Bella didn't come home last night…he tried calling me too but I wouldn't tell him anything so I guess Emmett was a last resort…but Emmett didn't know the whole story…so he let it slip and now Jacob's on his way over here…"

Edward was seeing red. He wanted to punch through the wall, tear at his hair, and then rip Jacob to shreds. His whole body seemed to coil, readying itself for a fight and he wanted it. He needed to hit that fucking bastard until he couldn't see straight.

Without a word, he yanked himself from Jasper's grasp, stalked out of the room and down the hall…Jacob was about to meet his maker.

* * *

**Yeah, I know, it was a little on the short side and I ended it on another cliffy, but what can I say? I'm busy...and those damn cliffys are just too much fun, haha. **

**Big thanks to brighteyes87...I really don't know how I ever managed to write anything without you. You are awesome. **

**You should all go check out her stories...you won't be disappointed.**

**Now for some business:**

**Go read "False Attraction" by grey-eyed-blonde. **

**Seriously. You are missing out if you haven't stumbled on this story yet. It's Doucheward/Assward/Emoward at his finest and the twist and turns this story takes are just twelve different kinds of crazy awesome...the banter, and my favorite, EPOV, is just completely amazing. Once you're done clicking that pretty review button, go read it. It's under my favorite stories on my profile if you need some help finding it. **

**Now there's only a few chapters left of this crazy angst rollercoaster ride I've got us all on...so show me some love...please...**


	19. Down with the Sickness

BLEEDING LOVE

_Drowning deep in my sea of loathing  
Broken your servant I kneel  
(Will you give it to me?)  
It seems what's left of my human side  
Is slowly changing in me  
(Will you give it to me?)_

_Looking at my own reflection  
When suddenly it changes  
Violently it changes  
Oh no, there is no turning back now  
You've woken up the demon in me_

_Get up, come on get down with the sickness  
Get up, come on get down with the sickness  
Get up, come on get down with the sickness  
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me_

_Get up, come on get down with the sickness  
You mother get up  
Come on get down with the sickness  
You fucker get up  
Come on get down with the sickness  
Madness is the gift, that has been given to me_

"Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed

Chapter Nineteen

Edward was already half-way down the hall when he felt a sharp tug on the back of his collar, effectively halting his rage-induced plummet to hell. He let out a low growl and tried to shake himself free, but the hand pulled him back forcefully.

"Pull yourself together, man…you can't just run up to him and start wailing on him." Jasper muttered in exasperation.

Edward struggled against him again but Jasper spun him around and shook him roughly. He paused for a moment, as if to gauge Edward's reaction, but when he was met with the same glazed look Edward had had only moments before, he shook him again, this time with more vigor.

"Snap the fuck out of it! What's gonna happen when Chief Swan gets here and sees you beating Jacob to a bloody pulp, huh? Have you thought about that?"

Silence.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You never think things through do you?" Jasper spat out.

This time, Edward met his gaze full on, his eyes now burning with returning anger.

"Look," Jasper began again. "I know you're mad as hell, Edward; I would be too if I were you. Fuck, I want to kill him too for what he said to her but that doesn't mean I should do it. Bella's father, the Chief of fucking Police, is going to be here soon and the last thing he needs to see is the guy who knocked up his unwed daughter kicking the shit out of the guy who basically put her in this hospital. So, think, Edward… think about this for a second. Think about Bella…your energy would be much better spent taking care of her instead of killing Jacob. Just think about this before you do anything fucking stupid."

Jasper released his shoulders and stepped back cautiously to give him the chance to 'do the right thing'. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, hoping that his little speech had inspired Edward to just turn back and head straight for Bella.

Edward rocked back on his heels, considering Jasper's words for a moment. A split second later, he took a small step backwards.

As he continued to backpedal, he met Jasper's exasperated eyes. "I hear you, Jazz…I really do. But someone needs to beat the shit out of him and that someone needs to be me."

With that, he spun on his heel and continued down the hall with the same resolve as before, almost as if their previous conversation had never even taken place. He didn't even acknowledge Emmett or Rosalie as he passed them, especially not Emmett's needless apology. He was almost glad Emmett had told Jacob because that gave him a reason to bring them face to face without any manipulation on his part. He couldn't have asked for a better situation than this. Jacob had absolutely no fucking business coming to the hospital and everyone knew it, so no one could really be too upset with him for beating the living shit out the reason why Bella was currently in a hospital bed.

His heart lurched for a second at the thought of Bella. She was probably wondering where he was and when he was coming back…the right thing to do would be to just tell the nurses to keep Jacob out and to go back to her and be there for her. But…then again, Alice was with her, and he had a feeling this wouldn't take him too long.

As he neared the emergency room's sliding doors, his father tried to grab his shoulder but he just shook him off. No one was keeping him from doing this. He owed it to Bella. He owed it the baby they would never get to have. Hell, he owed it to himself.

He stepped up to the glass doors and peered out into the parking lot. His mouth turned up in a small smirk when his eyes found what he was looking for. That son of a bitch was getting out of his car and sprinting towards the doors. Like the astute man he was, Jacob skidded to a stop as soon as he saw who was waiting for him at the entrance. That hesitation was all Edward needed.

Before anyone could stop him, he flew through the sliding doors and towards Jacob in a blind rage. Everything around him passed by in a blurry red haze until he reached his destination and swung, connecting his fist with Jacob's jaw with a loud crack.

His head flew back and before Jacob even had a chance to react, Edward swung again, this time popping him directly in the nose.

"Fuck!" Jacob yelled, his hand catching the blood running down his chin.

But Edward wasn't done yet.

He swung again. And again. And when Jacob staggered toward him with his arms outstretched protectively, Edward lunged at his waist and threw him to the ground.

By the time Jacob rolled onto his back in agony, Edward was glaring down at him with fire in his eyes.

"You…you…" Edward sputtered in rage. "You…motherfucker! How could you do that to her? How the _fuck_ could you do that to her?"

Jacob wiped the blood from his lip and spit out a tooth in the process. "Fuck you, Edward."

Edward's eyes narrowed.

"Get up!" He screamed. "Get the fuck up!"

Jacob responded by spitting blood out onto the cement. Edward didn't waste anytime and grabbed him roughly by the shirt collar, forcing him to stand up and look him in the eye.

Jacob just jabbed a bloody finger at him. "You can blame me all you want but the fact of the matter is that we both know who's really at fault here."

"What the fuck are you talking about? If you had just left her alone, if you hadn't fucked with her, _Jacob_, she wouldn't be in the fucking hospital right now."

Jacob shrugged and pushed himself off the ground to meet Edward square in the eye. "That's funny. I could say the same thing to you."

Edward responded by shoving him in the chest. "What?"

"You heard me. You're the one who got her pregnant in the first place. Haven't you ever heard of birth control? Fuck, what if you gave her a disease or some shit like that? Did you ever think about that?"

Edward's arms fell at his sides, his hands clenching into tightly coiled fists. "You're saying this is _my _fault? Because I got her pregnant?"

Jacob just nodded once.

That one, slight movement was all Edward needed to send him flying into another rage. He lunged at Jacob again, this time his hands closing dangerously around his neck.

"Fuck you!" He screamed into Jacob's face. "I'm fucking in love her!"

"So am I, you asshole." Jacob choked out.

Edward's iron grip loosened on his neck and his features creased on confusion. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. I love Bella. I've been in love with her since middle school, Edward. I just…I just never knew what to do about it. And then you…do you have any idea what it's been like these last few months to watch you two…to _hear_ it…"

He laughed when Edward froze.

"Did you really think I didn't know? That I was that stupid? I just…I just can't believe that Bella would be so…trusting…and you…you fucking ruined her. And for what? So she could be another notch on your bed post? You may have been able to fool her into believing that you love her but you can't fucking fool me. I know better. She thinks you've changed for her, that things are different with her…it's just bullshit and you know it. How much longer were you going to fuck around with her before you tossed her away like all the other ones?"

Edward's hands began to clench and unclench dangerously at his sides as he toyed with the idea of pummeling Jacob again.

"I don't have to convince you. Bella knows I love her and that's all I care about. Your opinion means shit to me." He spat out.

"Everyone else may be able to look the other way…fuck, everyone's been doing it for your entire god damned, privileged life…but I'm not going to. You need to wake the fuck up and take a good look in the mirror, Edward. You destroy everything you touch. You know that. I'm not going to let you ruin her anymore than you already have."

Edward took a deep inhale as Jacob's words reverberated over and over again in his head. For once in this fucked up situation, Jacob had a point.

So he did the only thing he could do. He shrugged his shoulders and took a small step backwards, giving Jacob a little more room to breathe.

"You're right about that, Jacob. I fuck everything up. If I hadn't gotten her pregnant, your fight with her wouldn't have ended up like this. But…that doesn't change the fact that you said those things to her. You had no right to do that. You had no right to talk to her like that. Fuck, Jacob…you left her on the side of the street in the middle of the night. What if something had happened to her? Did you ever think about that? You say that I don't really care about her, that I was just using her, well you know what? I would have never, ever done something like that to her. I care about her more than I care about myself, which is more than I can say about you. You know what you are, Jacob? You're nothing but a whiny little bitch. You're just pissed you didn't get your way."

Jacob's face twisted in anger and he jumped at Edward, swinging his fist. Edward easily caught it and just shoved him backward. Jacob staggered until the backs of his knees hit the edge of a car and he slumped down on it. His hands flew to his face and he shut his eyes tightly.

"You're right," he whispered through his hands. "I was a stupid, jealous, horrible motherfucker. I shouldn't have said those things to her but as soon as I knew for sure…what was going on…I just…I lost it. I was so angry that she would choose you over me. There's nothing about you that's good. Nothing you can give her that I can't. Nothing you can do for that I can't. I just…don't understand why she made that choice."

"Me either." Edward whispered back.

"I've never been anything but good to her… at least up until last night. I've been there for her when she needed me, I've done everything she's ever asked me to do but it's never been enough for her. I just don't understand…"

Jacob paused there and rubbed his hands over his face. He grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled on it in frustration before turning his attention back to Edward. They stared at each other for a few moments before Edward sighed and leaned up against the car next to Jacob.

From where they were sitting, they could see the worried faces of Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper watching from about twenty feet away, braced and ready just in case another round of fighting broke out. Edward just nodded to them, which they took as their signal to go back inside.

Jacob exhaled loudly and ran a hand over his face. "The thing is, Edward…the thing is that no matter what you think about me now, I really do want Bella to be happy, even if it's not with me. Ever since her mom…she just hasn't been the same Bella. I just want her to be happy again. And then…these last few months, something changed. She just kind of had this, I don't know what to call it, this glow? She was smiling again. She was laughing again. She just seemed…back to her old self and as soon as I figured out the reason why, I should've been happy for her. But I wasn't. I was just so…angry and jealous and…I wanted to be the one. I wanted to be the one to make everything better for her. But you did it. She chose you."

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his already wild hair. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say to that."

Jacob just shrugged. "You don't have to say anything."

A few more minutes of uneasy silence passed between them before Jacob spoke again.

"You're not good for her."

Edward nodded slowly. "I know that."

"But she still chose you."

Edward nodded again. "I know."

Jacob sighed and rubbed his throbbing jaw. "I shouldn't have said those things to her. She'll never forgive me."

"She might…because, well, because she's Bella. But I won't." He answered quietly.

Jacob nodded and sighed again. "I can live with that."

Edward eyed his former friend and roommate carefully before responding. "You know…I understand why you did what you did. I get it. I really do. Because if our roles were reversed, I'm sure I'd feel the exact same way. But from here on out, you need to respect Bella's decision, even if you still don't understand it. And you need to respect our relationship. I love her, Jacob. I don't owe you an explanation of my feelings for her because to be completely fucking honest, you don't deserve it. But you need to understand that I do love her, that I'm not going to hurt her, and that I'm never going to let anything happen to her ever again. It's time for you to just let it go, Jacob."

Jacob's head bowed down into his chest as he nodded. "You're right. I do need to let it go…would it be alright if…can I see her? I just want to apologize and then I'll go."

Edward's eyes narrowed at the suggestion and he exhaled loudly. "Well, I'm not going to make that decision for her. You can come to her room but the second she wants you to leave, you're gone."

"That sounds pretty fair. Thanks…"

Edward said nothing and just eased himself off the edge of the car to head back inside the hospital. Jacob immediately followed suit and they made their way back through the parking lot, each keeping a careful distance away from the other.

"Edward! Jacob!"

They turned around at the voice and both visibly stiffened at the sight of Charlie jogging up to them.

"What's going on? Where's Bella? What are you guys doing out here?" Charlie asked breathlessly, his hand subconsciously resting on the pistol at his hip.

"We were just talking, sir." Edward answered lamely.

Charlie's eyebrows rose as he looked from Edward to Jacob but instead of responding to the obvious fight that had taken place, he just shook his head because there was someone more important to worry about.

"How's Bella? Is she awake yet?" Charlie asked again.

"She's awake now, sir." Edward answered quietly.

"How is she…I mean, is she…?" Charlie's face had twisted into a grim, solemn expression and Edward couldn't stop the feeling of despair that rushed over him yet again.

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair as they came up to the doors. "I don't know. It's hard to say…I think she's still too shocked to have any other reaction."

Charlie nodded quietly. A few awkward moments passed between them before Charlie spoke again.

"Look, Edward…I just want to see Bella first and then, you and I are going to sit down and talk about all this."

Edward swallowed nervously and did his best to not look as terrified as he felt. "Yes sir."

* * *

"Ow…Alice! Do you have to?" Bella whined as she swatted away Alice's hair brush, effectively knocking it out of her hand.

"Shit, Alice, you're hurting her!" Rosalie snapped from the other side of the bed.

Alice huffed and snatched up her hairbrush, throwing it back into her oversized bag.

"Seriously, what do you keep in there? It's like you carry around a fucking suitcase with you all day, every day." Rosalie muttered in exasperation.

"Shut up." Alice retorted. "I was just trying to help. Bella's hair looks like a rat's nest."

Rosalie's eyes widened in horror. "Oh nice! Real nice! I can't believe you just said that…"

"Alright, alright…" Bella held up her hands, playing the referee. "That's enough out of you guys. Can we just…relax maybe? Where are the guys anyways? Where's Edward?"

Alice and Rosalie sent each other an anxious look, which only tipped Bella off that something was very, very wrong.

"Okay, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

Alice just looked down at her feet while Rosalie's eyes flitted anywhere but at Bella. This, of course, only served to piss Bella off.

"Seriously guys, what---" she stopped abruptly at the sight of her father, Edward, and Jacob in the doorway.

"Um…we'll just be right outside." Rosalie mumbled, dragging Alice out with her.

The second Charlie's eyes met hers, a fresh batch of tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Charlie was at her side within seconds, with Edward close on his heels, but Jacob lingered in the doorway, obviously unsure of what to do. But the fact that Jacob was there didn't even really register with her quite yet. All she saw was Charlie and her vision blurred.

"Hey, hey…don't cry, Bells. Everything's going to be okay now." Charlie whispered to her.

Bella sat up so she could throw her arms around his neck, not caring that the sudden movement caused her some discomfort in her abdomen. It didn't matter because she had never been so glad to see her father as she was in that moment. She never thought that would ever happen again. But all of that didn't matter anymore because she needed him and he was here for her.

He held her tightly and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Dad…I…I'm so sorry for everything…I never should have…" She sputtered.

Charlie just shook his head. "Don't, Bells. You don't have to apologize for anything. You never have. All that matters now is that you're going to be alright. You got that?"

She laughed lightly and nodded as he kissed her head again. Charlie released her and looked around awkwardly, from Edward, who was sitting on the opposite side of the bed, to Jacob, still in the doorway, with his head hanging low.

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Well, if you don't mind, Bells, I'd like to talk to your doctor and ask him a few questions."

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure. Carlisle's outside somewhere…he can help you find my doctor."

Charlie nodded silently and squeezed her hand before getting up. He had obviously sensed that the three remaining in the room had some business to attend to and he figured it was best to just give them the space he needed and ask questions later.

Now that there was no longer a buffer between them and the lingering figure in the doorway, Bella looked anxiously at Edward, who just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was then that she finally noticed the blood, cuts, and bruises on both Edward and Jacob.

"What…" She looked anxiously from Edward to Jacob, waiting for an explanation.

"Jacob and I were...discussing the conversation you and him had last night…aggressively…in the parking lot." Edward explained quietly.

Bella didn't have the strength to yell at either of them for their stupidity. She was just too tired for that. It would just have to wait until she was in the right state of mind to ream both of them a new asshole.

A few uneasy moments of silence passed before Edward let out a loud huff.

"I told Jacob he could talk to you as long as you wanted him here, Bella. Just say the word and I'll get him out of here."

Bella didn't say anything. Instead, her gaze slid to Jacob's solemn eyes, and she swallowed loudly. She knew exactly what he had come there to do, she knew exactly what he wanted to say to her and why. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to hear it yet.

"I don't know, Jake…" she whispered hoarsely.

Edward was already walking around the bed, headed straight for the doorway where Jacob waited, already having surrendered when Bella's voice stopped him.

"Wait! Jake…you can say what you need to say…and then I think it would be best if you left."

Jacob nodded sadly and took a few steps inside the room, shuffling his feet and still unsure of what he was supposed to do. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets as he got closer to her bed.

"Bella…" he began softly. "I don't think I'll ever be able to say or do anything to make you forgive me but…I shouldn't have said those things to you. I shouldn't have done it. I should've handled it differently, talked to you about it differently and waited until I wasn't so upset about it. I…I'll understand if you can't ever forgive because I know I'll never forgive myself for what I did…I'm just…I'm so, so sorry."

Bella exhaled softly and leaned back on the bed in thought. She glanced over at Edward, who had taken his place again next to her on the bed. His eyes were trained solely on her, waiting for her to make her decision and waiting to carry it out for her. He sent her a brief, reassuring smile that told her to take all the time she needed.

She sighed again and squeezed her eyes shut. On the one hand, she hated him for what he did. Part of her could hardly even look at him without clenching her fists in anger. But on the other hand, she knew that all he was really guilty of was caring about her, even if he had went about it the entirely wrong way. She couldn't really fault him for that anymore than she could fault Edward for all the mistakes he'd made in his past as well. Besides, wasn't it possible that the miscarriage would've happened anyway and that their argument had just sped it up? That didn't excuse the things he had said or the tone he used with her and while she knew she wasn't ready to forgive him then, that also didn't mean she couldn't at some point. What he said to her should have been unforgivable but she knew, deep down, that some day she would be able to forgive him. That day just wasn't today.

"Jake…" she began softly; her eyes closed briefly when she felt Edward's hand close supportively over hers. "I appreciate your apology, I really do. I just…I can't give you what you want yet…I can't forgive you yet. I'm not going to make any promises but I think that I'll be able to some day…just not yet."

Jacob nodded in understanding and sent her a small smile which she returned weakly.

"Are you alright, Bells?" He asked quietly.

Bella swallowed and nodded, giving him another small reassuring smile. "Yeah, Jake. I'm going to be alright."

He smiled again, nodding quickly to Edward to signal that he knew it was time to leave.

"Okay…bye, Bells."

"Bye, Jake."

She couldn't watch him walk out the door. She knew that if she did, it would just bring on yet another batch of tears and she was just too exhausted to cry anymore. She didn't have it in her and she definitely didn't have the strength to watch Jacob, her former best friend, walk away…maybe even for good.

That feeling, that horrible feeling of despair and hopelessness eased up when she felt Edward squeeze her hand in his. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. And that was it. That was all she needed. All she would ever need to set things right for her. It was simple. It was easy. It was just Edward.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I love you," he murmured into her hair. "That's one thing that's never going to change."

"I love you too." She exhaled breathlessly.

He smiled again, that crazy lop-sided grin that always drove her crazy, even when she wanted to kill him and he reached up to brush a stray tear from her cheek.

"Please don't cry anymore, Bella." He whispered into her hair again.

Just then, someone cleared their throat loudly, and somewhat awkwardly at the doorway. Both Edward and Bella looked up to see Charlie waiting uncomfortably, his eyes shifting nervously from his daughter to her boyfriend sitting very closely together on the bed. From the pained expression on his face, it was obvious he had seen and heard the exchange that had taken place between them.

"Well," Charlie began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I talked to the doc, Bells and he…he told me everything I needed to know. Can I…can I get you anything? You hungry? Or thirsty or something?"

Bella shook her head quickly. "No, Dad. I'm fine, thanks."

Charlie looked around the room anxiously and recognition flickered across his face. "Where's Jacob? Did he leave?"

"Uh…yeah, I told him to leave." She answered quietly.

Charlie opened his mouth to speak but Edward promptly cut him off.

"Chief Swan? Maybe it's time for us to have that talk."

Charlie blinked in surprise and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded and watched as Edward leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead before getting up and walking around the bed to the doorway.

"Don't worry, Bells. I'll bring him back to you in one piece."

"You better!" Bella called back as they walked out of the room.

"She seems to be doing okay," Charlie said as they made their way down the hall. "But on the other hand, she's so much like her mother…always keeping that sort of thing in."

Edward nodded in complete understanding. He, too, was worried that Bella's seemingly calm demeanor was just a front for the way she was really feeling, which was most likely all the same things he was feeling: devastation, grief, anger…and so on and so on. There was some inevitable therapy in their future, but he knew it was going to have to be up to Bella on when and where they started it.

"So…should we get some coffee?" Edward suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that's what you do when you're waiting in a hospital, isn't it?" Charlie replied heavily.

Edward smiled grimly. "Yeah, I guess it is."

They walked in silence to the many pots of coffee in the waiting room, neither one making eye contact with anyone else. Luckily, Rosalie, Alice, and Esme were simply flipping through magazines and Jasper and Emmett got up to take a walk while Carlisle chatted with another doctor.

Once their cups were filled, they found a couple of chairs in a quiet hallway where they could have as much privacy as one can have in a hospital.

"So," Charlie began unsteadily. "Do you want to explain to me what the hell happened between Bella and Jacob? Well, wait…why don't you…you just start from the beginning. How long have you and…my daughter…been together?"

Edward took a deep breath and exhaled, taking a moment to gather up enough nerve to answer all of Charlie's questions.

"Well, it started about two months ago and we didn't tell anyone because…well, to be honest I don't really remember all the reasons we had for keeping it a secret. I didn't really want to…Bella just, well, she had her reasons. Last night at the club, Jacob figured out that we were together and he…it's my fault…I had to stay late to help clean up so he gave her a ride home and I shouldn't have let her leave with him. I should have made her wait for me but I didn't because…I didn't want her to have to hang around if she didn't have to. I don't know all the details but what I do know is that Jacob confronted her about our relationship during the ride home and he…wasn't very nice to her; he pretty much told her that I was just using her and that she was an idiot for being with me."

"_Are_ you using her?" Charlie asked pointedly.

A look of shock and surprise crossed Edward's already pained features.

"No, sir. I'm not." He replied quietly.

Charlie stared at him for a few moments, his eyes boring straight into Edward's. He wanted nothing more to look away because he had never been so scared in his entire life but he knew exactly what Charlie was doing. He was testing him. And if he looked away, he would fail Charlie's test and there was no way he was going to do that.

"Alright...is there anything else?" Charlie asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He left her on the sidewalk in the middle of the night. I know she called Alice for a ride to her place and when Jasper dropped me off, Bella was just getting back to our apartment. I knew…I knew the second I saw her that something was wrong, that something wasn't quite right and I tried to get her to tell me but she wouldn't. Then I let her leave. I knew something was wrong and I let her leave. Jasper called me not even an hour later and told me to get the hospital. I…I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for this."

"For what?" Charlie asked quietly.

Edward shrugged. "All of it. As much as I want to blame Jacob for everything and believe me, I've tried…I was madder than hell. I really thought I might kill him too…but bottom line, all of this is my fault. If I had just grown a backbone and told the manager at the club I needed to leave instead of staying to clean up, Bella would've gone home with Jasper and me. Jacob would've had some time to cool off, maybe even confronted me about it instead of her…and I was the one who…the one who…"

He couldn't even say it out loud in front of Charlie: _I was the one who got her pregnant in the first place._

Charlie, however, seemed to understand what he was trying to say. He nodded slowly and rested his hands on his legs.

"Well, it wasn't necessarily the right way to handle Jacob but I understand why you needed to beat the crap out of him. And you know, if it I knew it wouldn't kill Bella, I would probably beat the crap out of you too. But…I'm not going to do that…as much as I'd like to right now. Sorry but I can't have any other reaction. But, all things considered, from what you've said, I don't see what you could've done differently, Edward. This isn't your fault anymore than it is Bella's. It's like her doctor, what's-his-name, told me. Sometimes these things just happen and there's nothing anybody can do."

"Thank you, Chief Swan."

"So you gave Jacob a good ass-kicking, I guess, right?"

Edward bit back a smiled and nodded. Charlie just chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, I doubt he's going to press charges so you should be fine there." He said lightly.

When that somewhat light moment passed, another bout of silence took over. Neither one really knew what to say, even though both knew that more still needed to be said. It was just getting the nerve and the balls to come out and say it.

So after a few moments of that awkward silence, Charlie finally sighed and said simply:

"Do you love her?"

Edward nodded. "More than anything, sir."

"Are you going to marry her?"

"If she says yes."

Charlie chuckled a little. "Well, from what I saw back there in her room, something tells me you don't have to worry about that too much."

Edward swallowed nervously before speaking again. "Sir, uh, could I…could I have your permission to ask her to marry me?"

Charlie inhaled deeply and crossed his arms over his chest again in thought. Several moments passed before Charlie began to nod slowly.

"Yeah, Edward…you have my permission."

Edward smiled weakly. "Thank you, sir."

Charlie nodded again. "You know, Edward, the whole way here, all I could think about was how much I wanted to kick your ass…not to mention getting her pregnant but I guess that's beside the point now…I know the reputation you have with…women…but, after seeing what I saw today, with you and Bella…I just…I see it, Edward. I really do. Hell, I'd be an idiot not to. I can see how much you care about her, how much you love her and I can see that she loves you just as much. That's all her mother and I wanted for her. And despite what happened last night, I can't see what I saw and not trust that you'll take care of her. And I know that, someday, you guys will be back in this hospital on much better terms…just hopefully later rather than sooner, you know what I'm saying?"

Edward chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I can't say it would've been ideal but…Bella and I would've found a way to make it work and when it does happen again, we'll be ready and waiting for it."

Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think so too."

Both men exchanged a brief smile and new understanding before Charlie rose from his chair.

"Well, I think it's time we got back to Bella. She's probably going crazy…thinking I'm killing you or something…"

Edward just laughed and stood up to follow Charlie back to Bella, back to where he belonged and where he was always going to be.

* * *

**So...yeah, it's been way too long since I've updated (and I knew you'd all be too excited to read an AN in the beginning so I put it here). Student teaching kinda caught up with me and I had some major writer's block with getting this chapter out. It was a long process that really sucked...I'd write something, hate it, delete it, start over, repeat. There were a lot of loose ends to tie up with this chapter that I wanted to get right and I hope that I did. **

**Big, big, big thanks to brighteyes87 for helping me work out the kinks and for being my cheerleader for finishing this chapter. You rock, girl!**

**Anyways, I'm thinking there's probably just one chapter left of this. And maybe in epilogue if I can manage it. Then it's back to work on "The Truth About Edward and Bella". **

**I know it's been a while, but show me some love and let me know what you thought of the long-awaited showdown! Thanks!**


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